Take it Straight to the Heart
by Ice of the Kitsune's Fire
Summary: The first time I met her she told me to go away- as impolitely as possible. The second time, she laughed. Maka Albarn is the most interesting person I've met. Too bad that, in this life, nothing interesting is safe. SoulxMaka AU
1. Chapter 1

I took a glance at my right, took another glance to the left. It couldn't hurt, so I turned around briskly, to check if anyone was there. The only thing I heard was my own ragged heartbeat. Breathing a sigh of relief, I reached out greedily…

"SOUL!!"

I cursed under my breath as I realized my mistake- I had forgotten to look up! Suddenly, I was on the ground, weak and breathless. My white hair fell over my face, and I sarcastically noted that my attacker just _had_ to sit on me to hold me down. We both knew he could hold me down with one hand.

"Damn you, Kid," I groaned. I felt a knife pressed to my throat and barely managed to look up without breaking my neck. "_Not cool_."

Kid's bodyguards, Liz and Patty stood smirking over me. Well, only Liz- Patty was laughing maniacally. I tried to push Kid off without success, but he noted my attempt and smoothly slid off of me, taking the pressure of the knife with him.

"You were close, but you neglected to note your surroundings carefully," He said in a scolding voice. "Also, your movements were horrendously loud! Do you wish to disgrace us?"

I just rolled my eyes. "How are you gonna succeed your father if you keep talking like that?"

The Death Gods, they were the strongest gang on the streets of Death City (If you haven't guessed, it was called that for the fact half the population was composed of gangs. Lots of crime) and were ruled by none other than Death himself. Not that anyone outside knew- to the commoners, the Death family was one of the most rich and prestigious families out there. I snorted at the thought- morons.

Every male in the family was named 'Death'. Kid had told me that repeatedly, but I ignored him. I had to distinguish him somehow, and calling him Death the seventh wouldn't sit well with him.

The reason? It was unsymmetrical.

"How are you going to pass this test if you don't improve?" He countered me. I groaned. I had been trying to go up in rank for three months now, and failed the test each time. To lead your own squad required getting past Kid himself, the Death God's protégé.

And so far, only one person had passed. The idiotic, stuck up, moron of the century-

"BLACK STAR IS HERE!!"

"Just peachy," I scowled. "Yet another person here to ruin my day." The boy just shrugged me off and stood over my sitting figure as if he was a god. At least he thought he was. His black eyes observed my scratched figure with amusement.

"The big guy has a mission for you."

I hate Mondays.

* * *

I stepped into the dirty corridor, ducking past a few low doorways and passing multiple armed bodyguards. The Death God himself sat at the end, looking comfortable in his big leather chair.

"Fuck you," I muttered under my breath. He heard me anyway and laughed- we both knew I didn't really mean it. A white mask covered his face, and he wore a long black cloak- counting his voice, it woulda been comical. Except for the fact his kill count passed the six figure mark. But you don't need to know that.

"Soul, you've been doing nothing for the past week," His voice came out. I nearly laughed, but caught myself. Some other guy did that last week.

Did I mention he's been a coma for three weeks now?

"Been training," I grunted, keeping my red eyes down. "I need to beat K- Death. Your son, I mean."

"You can train in the field," He chuckled. "I'm not going to give you anything specific, but I heard there's going to be another party soon." I smirked. He was probably the one who organized the damn thing. "You're invited, so go out today and polish your skills."

My smirk dropped. Underneath that childish voice was layers of command, and I knew that it was that way on purpose. Plus, whatever he was planning was probably big.

When I left, I made sure I kicked a guard for a good measure. I stubbed my toe.

* * *

A park seemed like a good place, I guess. I didn't think the Death God would really mind what I did. Pilfer a few hundred dollars and he'd be fine with me for the day. Might not seem like a lot to you, but if you have a couple thousand people under you, each giving you a couple hundred bucks… Yeah.

I scanned the area. No one looked particularly rich. There were a few people walking dogs, jogging, and a girl reading a book on the bench. A small bag rested next to her, practically begging to be stolen.

Now _there_ was a stupid girl. Maybe I could get something from her. She seemed about my age, so I smoothed back my hair and swaggered up to her.

"Hey there, Cutie," I smirked, swallowing my laughter. She had the tiniest chest I'd ever seen. Her head snapped up from the pages of her book, and she glared at me fiercely.

"Fuck off."

I stood for a moment, startled. It wasn't the cussing (that happened to me every day- any food is good food, even when stolen from teammates), but her eyes that stopped me.

They were a deep emerald, colored in layers and layers of different greens. For a moment, I stood there, dumbfounded. Her eyes sucked me in, and reminded me of something in the back of my head, something important…

"What, I startle you?" She growled at me. "Not used to girls turning you down?"

This time, I laughed.

"Listen here, girly," I said between my chuckles. "I don't care. Sorry if I hit a nerve or whatever." I sat down next to her, my hand inching closer to her purse.

"Don't care, my ass," She sniffed. It was kinda funny, watching someone as tiny as her talk crap. "Why call me cute only to back off?"

I couldn't help it. "It's pretty dark out, don't you think? Tends to make people see things as the opposite of what they really are."

WHAM! Her book snapped shut and slammed onto my head.

"What the hell?!" I hissed, clutching my head. She snatched up her purse and stood up huffily. Damn. I was so close, too.

"Think twice before you mess with me," She said darkly, and stomped away. I sat there, eyes wide, and lay down on the bench and laughed again. A few people looked at me weirdly, but I didn't care- a snotty rich girl like her, compared to me, who'd been putting up with a bunch of thieves and murderers every day, and I was supposed to be afraid of her! I got up with one last chuckle. She was interesting.

* * *

My return was greeted with the boss at the entrance to my room. (He was rich enough to provide for all of us in a small way, somehow. Food, and a bed. Plus the 'warm companionship' of a bunch of criminals. Figures that's what you get by having a big time job and 4,372 underlings practically forking you money 24/7.) We talked crap for a while, and he gave me instructions for the party tomorrow. What I was to do wasn't that hard. He finished by starting a rather awkward conversation.

"Soul, I would like you to-"

"No." I already knew what Death was gonna ask anyway, and abandoned even the thought of it. My teeth bore in a grimace, and I could feel the sharpness of my canines brush against my hand, which carefully covered my face from him.

"There's no other way to get you in," He said smoothly, confidently. It was surprising how he managed it. "And I need you there."

I stood up and slammed a fist onto the wall. I noted dimly that I put in a dent. I ignored the small pang of satisfaction and shouted, "I came here to leave that life behind! You know that!"

"If you want to be a leader, you have to learn to face things you don't want to," He said. I could feel his eyes watching my reaction; every twitch, every breath, every glance. For a moment, pride warred with anger.

"It will count as part of your training, maybe even influence whether you get promoted or not," He continued carefully.

There was a moment of silence. We both knew that I wanted to climb up so badly for a reason.

"Fine," I growled, stalking out.

* * *

The mansion was absolutely huge. It was held at Death's mansion (of course), and was completely symmetrical. A part of my mind noted that it was probably Kid's fault, but the said boy was next to me and if I commented rudely about it, he would begin one of his prepared lectures. I was already half deaf from them.

The inside was just as glamorous and just as symmetrical. It was already filled to the brim with people (Death was always late, anyway. Even for his own parties). The crowd parted around one large object. I quickly averted my eyes. Death bent over and whispered in my ear, "Go do your job. I'm paying you, you know."

I knew. I still didn't want to do it. It took every ounce of my strength to take the music sheets out of the bag he had brought and force myself to the piano. It was a pity, really- it was a nice expensive Steinway grand with a _very _fine polish. Almost unconsciously, I brushed my fingers tenderly on the smooth surface, trying to push back the barrage of memories it brought with the touch.

I sat down and began to play.

I kinda missed the feeling, and loathed it at the same time- I didn't even notice my fingers over the keys, just the sound filling my head and nothing more.

_What a cute boy!_

_**Make it stop…**_

…_no talent…_

_**Make it stop!**_

_Waste of time._

_**STOP!**_

_And of course, he'll never match up to-_

"STOP!!" A loud voice boomed through the halls. My fingers slipped off the ivories, and my heard turned, trying to figure out what happened. Everyone was staring at me. Finally, it sunk in. The voice was mine. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of green. Oh wow, was little miss tiny tits here to witness that?

I bolted.

* * *

I could feel tears welling up.

_Not cool, _I told myself. One rolled down my face anyway. Why the hell did I play the thing anyway? I was such an idiot. Veering into a dark corner, I stumbled into a dimly lit room. Guess what? Surprise, surprise, there was a piano. I tossed a look over my shoulder, and slowly entered, scrubbing at my eyes. There was a plain bed in the corner with a dresser next to it, sitting on the opposite side of the room the piano was. Large bookshelves covered all inches of the wall but the closet and the window.

It was a simple upright piano, but it would still sound the same. I sat down at it, closed the cover and rested my head on it. It seemed like hours until I heard the buzzing sounds of the crowds stop as Shinigami started his speech. I glanced at my watch.

Thirty minutes. I had plenty of time.

"What are you doing in my room?"

I froze. I knew that voice.

"This isn't your house," I grumbled, slightly unsure. Sure enough, the girl from yesterday was standing there, tiny chest and all. I blinked. Now I knew what those green eyes reminded me of.

Only the Albarn family had those eyes. The richest of the rich, second only to the Death family.

"No, it isn't," She said hesitantly. "But I'm staying here for… a while. Answer my question! What are you doing here?"

"Sorry," I said, voice barely a whisper. Not cool at all. I never did that. She came around the piano.

"Woah." She said, those emerald orbs of hers wide open. "I thought I was just imagining that you had red eyes."

I rolled said eyes. "Yeah, I'm a vamp. Want me to suck your blood?"

She just giggled, flopping onto the bed. "_Please_. Those don't exist outside of stories."

"Looks like you would know," I said, nodding to the hundreds of books on the shelves.

"I like to read," She shrugged. I made an oh-so-subtle glance at my watch. Twenty five minutes.

"Aren't you the weird one," I said dryly. Might as well pass time. "A stranger's in your room and you _laugh_." She laughed again at that, and then smiled teasingly at me.

"Maybe I'm brave."

"Maybe you're stupid."

She scowled. "I'll have you know I get top marks in my class." I shrugged nonchalantly. That was good. Nonchalant was cool.

"I'm sure you do…" A smirk formed on my lips. "Tiny tits."

"MAKA CHOP!" The very same book from yesterday, aged cover and all, landed on my head. I half shouted, half yelped. Damn. I would get my revenge on that book someday. "_Never_ call me that," She hissed. I winced at the pain on my head.

"Whatever."

We sat in silence. Her eyes softened after a while, and I noticed that despite the fact she had tiny- ahem, was not well endowed, her face was actually kinda… nice. Blonde hair framed her delicate face; she had smooth skin, and those _eyes_…

I shook myself out of that thought.

"What happened back there?" She said carefully, her eyes gauging my reaction. Dang. Everyone was doing that lately. "You just kinda ran off."

Ten minutes.

"Nothing. Bad memories, I guess," I said each word slowly, careful not to give anything away. She noticed and thankfully didn't poke into the matter anymore. Weird girl.

"You should get back to the party. I mean, it's so weird… I can't believe you're here." She laughed. "I mean, when I saw you the other day, I thought you were a robber or something."

She had no idea.

"Yeah, it's a small world," I mumbled. Suddenly, her small hand was in my face. I looked up.

"My name is Maka," She said. A silly grin was plastered on her face. I guess it was contagious, 'cuz I began to feel my own face lift into a smile. Confidently, I placed my large, callused hand in hers.

"Soul."

Five minutes. I had to leave.

As I moved to get up, however, she stopped me with a hand on my arm.

"Will I get to see you again?" Maka asked. I stared for a moment, surprised, and let a smirk creep onto my face again.

"Maybe. Who knows?"

I walked out of that room feeling the most intrigued I'd ever been in my life. But-reality check- those kinds of moments are always cut down. I would know. As soon as the door closed, I was blindfolded and gagged.

Shit. I hate Tuesdays, too.

* * *

A/N: BEFORE you exit out of this **without** reviewing (cuz you KNOW you want to), review anyway. Hate it (for being rushed), love it (for reasons unknown), or just want to know what happens, you know the drill.


	2. Chapter 2

Shit.

Shit.

SHIT.

I was trained for stuff like this- why didn't I notice a presence behind me? Why didn't my instincts kick in?

_Her_ laugh, lacing the air…

Oh yeah. Maka. Right. Speaking of Maka, couldn't she hear anything from inside her room? The door was _how_ thick?

My ambusher was starting to tie my arms. I jerked them free and elbowed what felt like a gut. I heard the breath being knocked out of him or her, and felt a grin forcing its way past the gag. No time to take the blindfold or gag off, though. I could still feel the attacker's body heat there (shocked, maybe. Or taking in my rugged good looks), so I gave him (was it a him?) a good kick. The person stumbled back, and I began a volley of punches, only to meet empty air with my (to put it nicely) pissed off fist. I ripped off my blindfold.

All I saw was an empty hall. I took a moment to survey the area and relaxed. My shoulders remained tense though, and my eyes darted around as I untied my gag. Whoever had attacked me had made an effort to hide his or her identity; that much was obvious. But why bother? I mean, we were all family in crime, I noted sarcastically. And here, of all places? My phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out and observed the bright screen. It was a text.

_You're late_.

* * *

I was outside the huge mansion in thirteen seconds flat. I might not be stealthy, but I'm fast, strong, and suited for my job. I saw a sleek black car that I didn't know the name of (it was probably a model that wouldn't be out for a while- the Death family really had a lot of money), and immediately recognized the Shinigami symbol on it. I pulled open the door, hopped in, and crashed it shut as the car started.

"You could refrain from harming my vehicle," Kid's voice came from the driver's seat. "This car cost more than you can imagine."

"Oh, I can imagine, all right," I snorted. As if I didn't already know the tons of cash he probably had. I swear, if they wanted, they could free America of all debts.

Liz sat in the front with him. Black Star and his partner, Tsubaki, sat next to me. Oh yeah, about Tsubaki…

Pale skin, pretty violet eyes, onyx hair that flowed long past her waist, and a rocking body. Not that I cared. (Don't get me wrong, I've got just as much testosterone as any other guy, but when you're constantly pummeling people and on the run from the cops, you don't have time for the stuff. Ignore movies, cuz they lie.) It was hard to imagine how the girl could even harm a fly, but I've been told she's dangerous. Jeez, what was with the people in this gang? Harmless on the outside… killer machine on the in.

"Where's Patty?" I questioned. Liz threw a glance at me.

"Unlike you," She said, "She has a good reason why she isn't here." Ouch.

Black Star laughed at me. "Of course, I, the almighty God, was here before you!" His arrogant voice filled the whole car. I thought I would suffocate- he was taking up too much oxygen. "You should bow before me!" He lowered his gaze to meet mine. "But for you, I'll make an exception."

Black Star, Kid, and I were a team. A 'special' squad if you will, but we worked together so well we could probably take the Death God himself.

…Or not.

Kid was the strategist, and Black Star was our source of pure, raw and undefined power. Me, I guess I just cover their backs. God knows they need me to, even though we can all kick ass.

"Where're we headed?" I asked briskly, watching the lavish mansion vanish from view.

"The Albarns."

* * *

We arrived at about 9:27. While I waited for Kid to get over the unsymmetrical spots of the home (This hedge isn't trimmed the same! For god's sake, why aren't there red flowers on both sides? This wreath is slanted!), a thousand thoughts ran through my mind.

What if someone Maka knew was home? I was pretty easy to define, I mean, who else had white hair and red eyes? But of course, this was _her_ house, I cursed in my head. Of _course_ she would know the people here. I couldn't afford to be seen. A certain part of me wondered why I even cared. Another wondered why I didn't just dye my hair and get contacts.

"Of course, I will lead!" Black Star said loudly. Both Kid (who had snapped out of it with some kicks from Liz) and I shushed him. Tsubaki chuckled at him but said nothing.

"Kid, you should go in with him. I'll stand guard." The words were out of my mouth before I could catch them. He shot me a curious look. I mentally smacked myself and continued, "He needs someone to keep him in line, and this place seems pretty empty tonight."

And it was true. Most of the lights in the building were out. In fact, all of them, save the street lights. Liz smiled cattishly at my observing gaze.

"Power is gone, security is down, and the guards…" She blew on her nails, not needing to finish the sentence. "Well, the servants are probably in a state of panic, their back up generators are… well, ashes, and all the Albarns are at the party." The bush behind me rustled, and Patty popped out, a gun in her hand and a smile on her face that matched a Cheshire cat. Ah, so _that's_ where'd she been.

I swear, although Patty is probably ADD (a certain event including underwear, paper clips, and nacho cheese comes to mind), she can be a killing machine. Maybe she's got a split personality.

"Alright," Kid finally nodded, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Soul, you stay outside. You're the fastest of us, so you should be able to make sure no one gets in."

I nodded with a mock salute. Black Star cackled, and Tsubaki hit him gently. Then she gagged him while apologizing profusely. I'll never understand women.

* * *

Everything went without a hitch. What, were you expecting some epic fight scene? Or maybe some disastrous flaw that sent the whole operation crashing? Nah (though that woulda made the whole thing a lot more interesting). The only thing that surprised me was that the only thing they walked out was… a book.

"What the _hell_?" I exploded. "We came here, murdered people and robbed some rich dudes for a _book_?" No problem with the murdering part (don't think of me as without morals. If you were me, you would both have a) gotten used to it, and b) had a _very_ good reason for even bothering to stick around getting used to it), but they stole a _book_.

"I _know_, right?!" Black Star shrieked. The gag had disappeared, but the moment the last syllable slipped out of his lips, it was on again. And Tsubaki had that innocent look on her face. Dang, she's good.

"Silence!" Kid hushed us (although I guess Black Star really needed hushing anymore). "It's not just any book." He beckoned us into the car and started the engine. We were out of there fast- the car wasn't just money, after all. It was a lean, mean, speed machine, and it was that way for a reason. "This is the Book of Eibon."

"Never heard of it," I said bluntly. He face faulted (probably cuz it was symmetrical and I was dissing it) and then gave me a harsh look before turning back to the wheel.

"I'm not exactly sure of what it contains," He hedged, and I wondered why he didn't just open it. Liz saw the look on my face and shrugged.

"Orders."

"What the big guy doesn't know won't kill him," Black Star said. This time the gag was ripped to pieces.

"I don't care," I groaned. "But why a book?" Death God had never really specified exactly _what_ we were after when talking to me, just that it was extremely valuable. "It's not like the Black Market would offer over big bucks or anything."

"On the contrary, Soul," Kid said quietly (whenever he said something quietly, a tone of danger coated his words. Probably got it from his dad). "This book is highly wanted and could very well fetch over 50 billion."

I froze.

It was a god-damn _book_. Someone would actually pay that much for a bound collection of paper? My mouth opened, close, opened again (Black Star burst into laughter at the proclaimed 'fishy-fishy' moment. I punched him), and then all of a sudden I was laughing.

"Who the hell… would pay… that much for that piece of crap?" I forced a breath in between my laughs (I was laughing a _lot_ nowadays. That was new. Weird) and somehow managed words. I could see Kid's jaw go taut in response, and my mood instantly lowered. Suddenly, the darkness of the night seemed to really seep in through the windows and the son of the 'Death God' really did act like it.

"Noah."

* * *

I'd had to learn a lot of things the hard way, and though _his_ name wasn't one of them, it still scared the crap-load outta me. _Me_. That _has_ to speak volumes.

Noah was bigger than any religious god(s) that are out there. Don't believe me? Go ahead and cower in fear as he stands over you, praying to the God that _isn't_ going to save you. I've heard many things such as 'Force your way through things, cuz that's reality', or 'If the first time doesn't work, punch the shit outta your enemy', but he could do anything with a stare. I've never actually met him, and never want to. He's the head of practically all the Black Market systems out there for a reason. Rumors are that someone died from just _looking_ at the guy- with blood pouring out of his eyes. Though I find that hard to believe, rumors always stem from something, and the fact that he has stuff far above 'charisma' or 'sensuality' is more than real.

I was still deep in thought (don't laugh at that) when we arrived back at home (don't laugh at that, either. Gotta call it something), where Death God was waiting. Guess the party ended early, or he slipped away. Though we couldn't see his eyes, I could feel his gaze intensely focused on the book Kid was handing him. And by intense, I mean you could literally _feel_ the fire.

"What the hell's in that thing, anyway? Post stamps?" Black Star shouted loudly, and maybe a bit happy that there was no more need to keep quiet. We all shot him a dirty look anyway. Behind that childish mask, I could feel eager anticipation. We all waited, and Death God finally said, "If I could wait this long for this book to be in my hands, you can wait longer for an answer."

Suddenly, he was gone.

While Black Star was busy being pissed, I turned to Kid.

"Why was the Book there?"

"Mr. Albarn is a police officer," Kid said. "They call him 'Death Scythe' because he is known for hunting down some of the most dangerous criminals out there. Once he sticks to a case, he finishes it. On one of those cases, he arrested a man named 'Eibon' and received this book." He thought for a moment before continuing, "Eibon was Noah's father."

"Supposedly bigger and bad ass-ier than him, too," Black Star joined in. Probably felt left out.

I blinked once, twice. I'd had more than enough thought to last me the day, but this new piece of info was… actually, amusing.

Maka's father was a _police officer_. Mister 'Death Scythe', too, and I wondered if he knew that 'Death God', his… erm, friend (I don't know if the stuff that goes on at that party is socializing or politics. Probably both) was actually a big time gang head. Better yet, I snickered quietly to myself, I was a gang member and Maka couldn't even tell. My smile turned down a bit- it was probably a bad thing anyway, for her to associate herself like me. (I wasn't exactly a hard core gang member though, if you couldn't tell. Even so, I had my reasons for joining up.) I wondered why I even cared, for the fifth time that night.

I slept fitfully that night.

* * *

Shinigami had disappeared off to somewhere. No one knew where, and frankly, no one cared- when the boss is away, we all play, and that never applied more literally. With no one bossing us around, the hideout was lively. By that, I mean it smelled like dirty playing cards, alcohol, and… ew. Something else there I won't mention. I was about to go back to my room and crash, when a hand grabbed my shoulder and dragged me behind a wall.

"What the hell?" I snarled. I was looking forward to that nap, too. It was Kid, and he gave me a look that told me to _shut up or I will politely rip off your balls_.

"Death God is in trouble," He began, and I immediately growled.

"If _that_ guy's in trouble, there's no way we can help him!" I whispered harshly.

"Stop." He commanded. "I must attend to something. In the meantime, go to this address, and do what you can." He handed me a piece of paper and turned to walk off.

"What do you mean by what I can?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"You'll see," He tossed over his shoulder. Then he disappeared.

Man, I hate it when he does that.

* * *

I hopped on my motorcycle (my precious thing, touch it and you'll lose an eye) and revved off through the streets I knew so well. It hadn't been without pain that I had learned them, either- I could still remember a time where I wandered in the rain, miserable and alone. I brushed that aside as I approached a large building (it looked like some abandoned factory- cliché much?) and cut the engine.

"Finally! I was starting to get bored." I whirled around.

"Liz? What are you doing here? Wait, Patty too?" Patty was carving a picture of a giraffe into the cement with a switchblade. Figures.

"As if Kid would let you do something as serious as _this_ by yourself." She snorted.

"Why didn't he send Black Star?" I asked. "I mean, he _is_ a higher rank… oh."

"Yeah. This requires being _quiet_. Which we both know Black Star can't do. Now follow me!"

Liz dashed off with Patty at her side, jumping this way and that, avoiding what I assumed must be sensors. The place was probably rigged. I followed without really following at all, joining their side in the blink of an eye.

We circled around the building and suddenly, halfway through, Liz and Patty swung up onto a particularly high branch and flung themselves onto the roof. Right. I screeched to a stop and did the same. They were fighting some guards on the roof, hand to hand combat (I guess guns would be too loud), and owning them completely. I landed on the last one and effectively knocked him out. We slipped into vents and crept through. Don't ask me how; Liz is just a geek like that. Finding her way through enemy territory is no problem for her. Patty had her mouth taped shut, cuz, though she's no quieter than Black Star, the two can't stand to be apart for very long.

"What are we supposed to be doing?" I hissed through clenched teeth. The air vents reeked of something… irony. Blood? What the hell?

"Central generators s'posed to be knocked out. Main assassins of the group, too. Almost there."

Suddenly, something caught my eye.

Through a crack in the vent, I saw something green flash and I recognized it instantly. What the _fuck_ was Maka doing here?

"Go on without me," I said without really thinking. Liz shot me a look, but Patty just nodded enthusiastically and they continued. I slipped through an opening and dropped down, only to be punched in the face. I automatically responded with a roundhouse kick, and was rewarded with a moment to take in my surroundings.

It was completely empty and smelled like sawdust. No problem.

"S-Soul?" I heard Maka groan out. I whirled around, and fury seeped in, running deep in my veins.

Her face was covered with blood, bruises and all. There was a nasty cut (was her arm broken? Why was it bent like that?) across her face. But that wasn't the worst of it.

Her eyes, her captivating green eyes, stared at me with absolute trust. Her eyes unabashedly told me _Itrustyou/Ibelieveyou/Youaregood_ and it killed me.

Hesitation kills. I hesitated, and I was smacked good on the face again. Something wet trickled down my chin, and I wiped it away, not needing to look down to know it was red.

I launched myself at my attacker, and then got a good look. I stopped, hesitating again, but for a reason.

It was a… girl? Boy? I couldn't tell. His or her hair was… _pink_ and the eyes she or he bore were sad and filled with misery. Had this person really attacked me?

Suddenly, a man appeared behind the person. His eyes were blindfolded; X's were marked over where his eyes should be. Instead of arms, and he had _blades_ protruding from his elbows. His skin was dark and tanned and _damn_, was that a ten pack?

"Chrona," He snarled out, guttural. "We must finish her off first. No distractions, though this boy is quite the annoyance. Stupid."

Chrona nodded, and an abrupt look of… insanity crept onto his/her face, and Chrona stepped towards Maka, fist drawn and insane laughter bubbling through pale lips. Maka jumped out of the way, rolling, and barely missed an attack that pummeled a hole into the ground. Dang. Chrona's arms were extremely thin, but held a kind of ferocity that I knew I couldn't match, and then-

_Insane laughter, happy and angry and sad at the same time…_

_Arms coated with blood. I am grieving, I am laughing…_

_Betrayal, being left behind, tears of black…_

With a groan, I stumbled back, and shook my head twice, sharply. Maka was lying on the ground, and though her eyes were open (and pleading… god, could this get any worse?), I knew she was bordering unconsciousness.

"Ragnarok," Chrona said gently, feebly, yet the large man that could easily overtake anyone obeyed, and rushed forward at Maka.

Again, hesitation kills, but when I didn't even think twice about jumping in front of Maka, I swear I saw my life flash through my eyes (and I'm telling you, it wasn't pleasant).

The last thing I felt was cold hands upon my face before everything went black.

* * *

A/N: I know this is _really_ random, but I was just thinking about when Maka told Soul (in the actual Soul Eater) that she would face his scar. I seriously expected her to say, "I need to face this, Soul… so take off your shirt." Ah… dang. I have serious mental problems.

Anyway~ any thoughts?


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hi! I forgot to thank you guys for reviewing (because I had already typed up chapter two and didn't want to add it on, since I would end up editing the whole chapter. But I really appreciate it!), so here's a big thank you to:

MaRuune (Thanks times two!)

Mizora (x2 again~, hehe)

SingerToPotatos (Your review made my day xD)

ElricKeyBlade

Megolass

edward's blossom

cherryberryXD

ambrie-chan

MoonChild1959

DearlyBeloved-13

You all deserve a hug, but I can't reach through the screen to give ya one. Darn.

* * *

It was dark.

Now, don't tell me that's cliché, because it was true- the exact definition of the word. I walked slowly, endlessly, and for every step I took, a terrible music resonated through my head. It was like I was walking on an endless keyboard.

So I began to run. I ran like hell, and the music intensified. It burned my ears, but then a spot of light lit up my vision, and I reached towards it mindlessly… and stumbled into daylight.

"What the_ fuck_ is going on here?" I tried to ask, but nothing came out of my mouth when it opened. I saw blonde hair hanging over my head, recognized the pigtails, and looked up. It was Maka, with her usual happy, innocent green eyes. Despite my pain, I had to smile back. Suddenly, she reacted, her face automatically twisting into one of terror and pain and between a sob, there was a high pitched scream…

This had to be a dream. I laughed, and the sane part of my head wondered why I was laughing.

And suddenly, there was another little flash of light, just a little dot in the corner. I reached for it, clawing for freedom…

…and suddenly, I was in a dark room, with a large piano and the huge urgency to play it. No reason, no thought, just feeling. Just feel, _Soul_…

My name. Soul. I had almost forgotten it. I clung to that thought like a lifeboat.

_My name is Soul, Soul , Soul, Soul, Soul_…

"SOUL!!"

My eyes snapped open to meet whiteness. I took a deep breath and felt something on my chest burn with pain.

"Augh," I groaned. "Where am I?" This time, my voice came out just fine. A little pained and wimpy, though. How uncool.

"Hospital," Kid's voice said from next to me. I turned (but not without some effort) and saw him sitting there, amber eyes appraising me and reflecting images of my failure. I winced- I didn't need that.

"How'd I get here?" I frowned. "Wait, why am I here?" I began to panic. "The records…"

"None," a man walked in. My red eyes widened, and my mouth slammed shut. "In fact, there has never been a record of anyone named 'Soul'…" He trailed off, meeting my eyes. I frowned. Was I in trouble? I glanced at Kid, but he betrayed nothing, except… was that _amusement_? I growled, flinched at the pain, and settled for glaring at the man. He had trailed off for a reason, and I was thankful for the fact that he didn't say my full name.

"Don't worry," The man grinned. His face was covered in stitches and framed with gray hair. His glasses reflected light, hiding his eyes, and there was… a _knob_ coming out of his head. "I'm a doctor."

I shook my head. First arm-blades and now head-knobs. I'd had more than enough nonsense to last me a year. "I kinda figured. But-"

"No record of you," He repeated. "I made sure of it."

Oh. I looked at Kid, and then he outright grinned at me, and I felt fury swell up in my chest.

"You _knew_!" I said as harshly as I could without causing pain. He shrugged.

"This is Dr. Stein," Kid said, amusement still on his face. "He is an… associate of my father's."

I looked at Dr. Stein. He gave me a real creepy grin, like he'd like to dissect me, sew me up, and dissect me all over again. I didn't trust it one bit, so I looked away.

"What… How did I get here?" I asked Kid. There were too many questions in my head.

"Liz and Patty came back when you lagged," He said dryly. "They attempted to take on the pair that had attacked you, but disappeared for some reason. We had to abort the mission."

I cursed. Death God was away and I _still_ managed to ruin everything. Great.

"By the way," Kid said nonchalantly, quite a feat for him. "I was told there was a girl there."

"Dunno her," I mumbled, drifting back into unconsciousness. I heard him take a deep breath and walk away before I fell asleep.

* * *

I wasn't really sure how long I'd been asleep, but when I woke up, the rays of the sun hit me like a baseball to the face. I would know.

"You're _drooling_," came an accusatory, lilting voice. I recognized it and groaned for the third time that day. I tried to turn my body, failed epically, and settled for turning my head instead.

"What're you doing here, Maka?" I took her in through my eyes. Arm in cast, a few bandages, but she probably looked better than me. Her eyes burned with… wait.

Was she _angry_ at me?

As if reading the look on my face, the girl began to rant. "I can't believe you did that! That was so stupid, you idiot! Could have just let me die, but _noooo_! You had to go ahead and save me! What use is both of us getting hurt?" Her voice began to tremble with unshed tears. I looked at her, alarmed. "You could have _died_."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," I grinned. Out came that familiar book again. Damn.

"MAKA CHOP!"

"GAAHHH!!!" I shouted. "Do you have no shame? Hitting an injured guy?" I glared at her, pissed (also cuz of the fact my scream sounded _really_ uncool). My anger melted when I saw her trembling.

"S-Soul," She whispered, barely able to manage it. I tried to lean over, hands fluttering uselessly, but I had no idea how to calm a girl. "You barely know me. Don't get caught up being a hero."

"Oops," I said without any humor in my voice. I gave her a withering look. "What were you doing there anyways?"

"I don't know," She said, looking at me. Pain stabbed my heart; she was crying, and it was _my _fault. "I was… just reading in that park, y'know," She laughed humorlessly. "And then, everything went black, and all of a sudden I was in there being beaten senseless."

I stared at her. It finally made sense! That night I was attacked was in front of the room _Maka_ was staying in. (Maybe they thought I was her bodyguard of something. Ain't have years of experience, but I have _muscle_. Heh.) But… no, not quite. Why would someone want her? Couldn't they just take the mother or something? Stupid Soul, I mentally berated myself. She's an _Albarn_. Of course she would be wanted.

"Why were you there?" She fired at me (probably sick of me staring into the air like a mindless zombie).

"Saving your ass," I said dryly. She shut up, and then looked at me with a look that melted me (and it isn't easy doing that; I remember this one time, this girl… oh, never mind).

It was the same look as the one in that warehouse. I cursed under my breath as she began to leave.

"Don't," I said, serious. She stopped and looked at me curiously.

"What?"

I met her gaze with my own.

"Trust me."

* * *

I sat up in my bed, thinking. The second she left, I lifted up my shirt and was horrified to see a jagged scar running down the side of my chest. It had been stitched up, of course, but _that _was the cause of my pain. At least I walked away from it alive. I smiled grimly at that. Saved a life and got away with my own, not a bad deal. The door began creaking open, so I yanked down my shirt (you never know what kinds of ideas people get) and pretended to be sleeping.

It was Dr. Stein. "You're a horrible actor."

"Tell me about it," I sighed, opening my eyes. "What do you want?" He took off his glasses and looked at me seriously (seriously as in seriously insane? I couldn't tell).

"Soul," He began, pausing heavily. I knew that tone. My eyes narrowed. "You… You're-"

"I know," I said bitterly. "Don't. even. _say. it._" I snarled each word through clenched teeth.

He looked at me as if he knew what I was going through, and maybe he did. But then that maniacal look slipped onto his face again, easy as a mask.

"You know it's dangerous," He said, pulling out a cigarette. (I rolled my eyes at that- what kind of doctor smoked?) "I can't imagine why you would be doing the stuff you are now with… that." He took a long drag.

I wanted to gag, but I was used to the scent and didn't even bat an eye (besides, I was sure I was slated for a more meaningful death than lung cancer). "Butt out, old man. I have my reasons and unless you want me to kill you…" I gave him a practiced look (all the Death God gang members had it), teeth and all (although the effect was severely ruined by my pathetic state). He just laughed.

"I doubt you could, kid." He gave me another one of those _Iwannadissectyou_ looks and then turned to leave. "Normally, it'd take a while for a person to heal, but you're far from normal. Since you're practically better, why don't you jump out through the window? It's faster."

"Ha ha," I said dryly. He just grinned and left.

I eyed the window, caught myself doing it, and cursed.

* * *

When I returned, the place was hell as far as the eye could see. People sleeping all over, bottles of beer in their hand and that _eewwww_ scent again. I gagged and turned away.

"Done licking your wounds, eh?" Black Star appeared from behind me, and began walking alongside me. "As I am a God, I would have healed _much_ faster! You're so pathetic!" He cackled that annoying cackle of his (and I eyed a conveniently placed crowbar).

"Whatever," I said, annoyance scribbled all over my face. Today had just given me another reminder of what I was, and I didn't like it. "Go fuck yourself."

"Don't need to. Got Tsubaki doing it," He said airily. I stopped walking and stared at him blankly. He returned the look, and then burst out laughing.

"_Jeez_! You should see the look on your face!" He stopped and gave me a smile (that seemed remarkably similar to a monkey's face). "I'm just kidding. Just wanted your attention."

"What?" I stared again. Black Star was _admitting_ to wanting attention? I thought I'd have to kill myself twenty times over (each in painful excruciating detail) before that happened!

"You look so out of it," He said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, and it probably was. I felt out of it, too. "Anyway, a letter came in for you. No address or anything." He handed it to me, and I was surprised to see he hadn't opened it (Privacy and Black Star? In the same _sentence_? No way. Except for that one I just named.) "Later."

He 'poofed' away in a fashion similar to Death God. I rolled my eyes and looked down at the paper I was holding.

_To Soul Evans_

I ran out fast as I could.

* * *

It didn't make sense. Then again, I thought with a sarcastic smile, did anything anymore? How had they found out where I was staying? Crap. The one place I sought haven and they _found_ it. I stopped under a tree and tore it open.

_Soul,_ it said in a bold cursive. _Don't panic. I was merely ordered to send this to you. Your location has not been disclosed to them and will continue to be that way._ I rolled my eyes. Had I gotten so predictable even someone I didn't know could figure me out? I continued reading. The letters shifted into a more elaborate and skinny lettering that I recognized. I clenched my hand.

_**Dear Soul,**_

_**It had been quite some time since you left. Do you have any idea of the chaos that you have caused?**_ (Damn straight, I thought. That was the whole _point_.) _**We need you home- we have had quite enough of your silly games and demand you return this instant. We are ready to sic the police on you in a similar fashion as to hound dogs, **_(Typical, I grinned) _**and you will find yourself sorely regretting your decisions if you do not obey. **_

_**Your**_- I immediately stopped reading, an odd feeling clenching my chest (and it wasn't the scar), and skipped to the last sentence.

_**It will change. **_

_**From,**_

I tore the thing into shreds, panting heavily. Was I crying? No- it had just started raining without my knowing it. I slumped against the tree.

No questions, just orders, I thought bitterly. How typical. As if I didn't have enough trouble dealing with-

_Pounding footsteps through the hall. Screams, terrified screams._

_Loud laughter, banging on ivory keys. Messy strands of hair covering my eyes._

_Something warm. Tears? Blood? I touch my face and look at my hands. It's-_

"STOP!!" I clutched at my head, dug my feet against the ground. The tree behind me splintered, pieces of bark falling into my hair. I could feel myself twitching, like something inside me was going to break.

"Why are you out of the hospital?"

In my agony, I looked up, and there stood Maka. All glorified with a little pinch in her face and her hands on her hips. She tried to scowl viciously at me, but it looked silly on her small face.

"I'm special," I said quietly, sarcastically (I know they don't go together, but if my raised my voice any louder, it would break from my headache).

"Sure," She said, mirroring my tone. Her emerald orbs looked down at me with a shadow of concern.

"What are you, a stalker?" Maka was popping up wherever I went! I felt the pain in my head slowly ease out, being replaced with my regular smirk. Ah, normality- even when it's so twisted.

"Gee, how'dya figure out that one?" She said dryly, lips twitching. "Actually, this happens to be the very same park you first saw me, and when I saw you, I figured you weren't dirtying your pants for nothing." She gestured with her free arm; the other one was still in a cast. I looked at it with a frown on my face; would that have been avoided if I had gotten there earlier?

"Nah," I said after a moment. "It's art." I dug a finger into the wet ground and drew a little (sadistic, like me) happy face. She burst into giggles, and I felt my mood lighten considerably. As if proving the point, the sun's rays peeked out through the clouds and onto her pale face, making her eyes sparkle (and it was pretty cool- like I could control the weather or something).

She put out her hand, an offering. I took it.

"I'm supposed to be meeting my Papa in a minute," She said slowly, and her face twisted into an angry little expression that made me want to laugh. "But… he's so…"

"Annoying?" I grinned at her (and it wasn't without reason- I totally understood where she was coming from).

"Yeah," Maka relented. "Would you come with me?" She looked up at me, eyes pleading. "I mean, it would be so awkward…"

Oh, god no. Not those eyes. I looked away… and looked back. What about the fact her father was a police officer, I wondered? (I mean, I wasn't exactly all spandex and cape) But she smiled brightly when I nodded slightly, so I couldn't refuse.

* * *

Now I get it. I _sooo_ get it. While we walked to the place she was supposed to meet her dad, Maka blabbered about the places she liked, eyes shining. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do, so I just smiled and nodded, a small feeling of awkwardness settling over me. I could face a raging Maka, happy Maka, sad Maka (okay, maybe not that last one), but a _shop-crazy_ Maka?

Crap.

She stopped when we neared a fountain, and I could feel her entire demeanor change. If looks could kill, the one she was sending would instantly pulverize you while scattering you into ashes, and boot those ashes to Pluto. A man with red hair and eyes matching Maka's rushed forward, arms outstretched. He looked so idiotic, and all my doubt vanished with a single thought- _What the_-

But I didn't finish the thought. I started laughing instead, so hard it hurt. Maka pouted cutely in annoyance, but her father looked at me with a piercing gaze. I chuckled one last time, my pride warring with humor, and looked up.

We had an entire conversation with our eyes (and I'm telling you, it was kinda creepy).

_You better run to save your sorry ass,_ his eyes appraised my dirty figure with disapproval. _If you dare to even lay a finger on my girl…_

_Sorry old man, _I looked at him with confidence giving me a high. _I have already_. I didn't include that it was just a little handshake, but he suddenly broke out into fits of sobs. Woah. Didn't see _that_ coming. (Or maybe I did- he'd had snot coming out of his nose as he came to greet Maka. Weirdo.)

"MAAAKKKAAA!! THIS BOY ISN'T YOUR…" He paused to shudder for a moment in disgust. "…_BOYFRIEND_, IS HE?!" Within seconds, I witnessed the so called 'Death Scythe' wither away to a puddle at Maka's feet. And, (the part that made me feel so damn _smug_) Maka didn't even spare him a glance. She looked at me instead. But then, suddenly, my smugness evaporated.

"Sorry," She said huffily. "But _no way_ would I date this guy."

"Right back at ya," I snarled, my scowl quickly forming into a smile as an idea sprang to mind. "_Tiny tits._"

"Maka Chop." I hissed, falling to my knees. AGAIN. How'd she-? Where'd that damned book come from?! I had no clue, only that I swear I could feel my head bleeding. In an instant, Death Scythe straightened himself up, towering over the both of us (especially me, as I was cowering in fear. Of Maka, mind you. Either way, I was pissed and _not cool at all_).

"Of course she would never choose you!" He crowed. "Because Maka is my beloved-"

"No way," Maka huffed, turning away. Death Scythe deflated.

"What's his name?" I asked (I flipped off her dad, too. It felt _good_).

"Spirit," She said, spitting out the words as if they were venom. "He doesn't deserve to be called my Papa." Taking my arm, she began dragging me away. I turned around and grinned triumphantly at her father. His comical act pulled together, and he looked at me with poison laced through every centimeter of his stare.

_There's something not right about you, boy, and I _will_ find out what._

I bit my lip (after all, Kid _had_ said something about Death Scythe sticking to his case no matter what… not that I was actually _afraid_, I mean, _pshhh_. There's nothing to be scared of… hehe…ah…), but shot right back at him, _Try and die, Spirit Albarn._

It hadn't even been fifteen minutes and I'd made a new enemy. _Sweet_.

* * *

"Sorry about that," Maka apologized as the faded grey buildings and stands slowly morphed into trees and grass. The sky was getting dark; only a few streaks of light were left. (Honestly, it reminded me of Kid's head for an odd reason…)

"No need," I snorted. "I've seen much worse than that." (And it was true- if you were to tune in to my thoughts three weeks ago… hey, what are you doing in my head?) Maka laughed and then looked at me earnestly.

"Will I get to see you again?"

Too much. The image of her eyes burned in my mind. She'd asked me this before.

"No." I turned to walk away, somehow knowing that what I said was a lie. Thinking back on that moment now, I would have never realized how closely intertwined our lives would be. Too cliché, yet again? Try overly dramatic.

I heard a scream, a painfully familiar one.

Fuck. Not again!

* * *

A/N: A little boring of a chapter, but… required, hehe. Hopefully, if you guys want, the next chapter will be more interesting.

Chapter Goal: …um. Five reviews? lol


	4. Chapter 4

Well, as much as I'd _love_ to be a hero (Yeah, absolutely _no_ sarcasm there… what? Don't look at me like that), I still don't like spandex. So when I turned away and saw that Maka had yet again disappeared (hehe, I bet _that_ was anticlimactic), I immediately walked away nicely. Not.

"Fuck," I snarled under my breath, taking pursuit. A dark figure disappeared around the corner, and I sprinted across the grass (with a very nice little woosh of air rushing behind me, might I add) in chase. It took me only five seconds to catch up with Ragnarok, who for all his strength was pretty slow, and the following moment to see Maka glaring at me furiously. Well, I thought with a grin, if she hated the fact that I had gone after her (and hell, did I just break my promise of never seeing her again? Crap), then she would absolutely _loathe_ this.

It took thirteen seconds.

0:01. He dropped her on the ground.

0:02. I growled something inaudible (but very interesting) and rushed to attack him

0:04. I ducked as something rushed over my head. With a little satisfied smirk from me and a dark snarl from him, we punched each other at the same time. I think I was hurt more than he was, because he didn't even stagger whereas I did. It sucked.

0:07. I dodged his hits as I saw them. Missed something. He backhanded me in the gut.

0:11. Maka screamed at me. I think I laughed.

0:13. Ragnarok immediately backed away from me. What? I blinked, felt something under my mouth, and turned away from Maka. I wiped it away and hurriedly cleaned my hand with… dirt. Better than nothing.

When I turned around, he was gone. There was just Maka, me, and… _awkward_.

"How _dare_ you?!" Maka screeched in a very… surprisingly, Maka-ish way. Who knew she could screech like that?

"Yeah," I sighed. She blinked. "I can't believe I didn't kill the guy," I continued. "Should have given him a good blow at least, but _damn_…" I flexed my jaw. "He hits like you wouldn't believe."

"You jerk!" Maka seethed. I flinched. _Here it comes, here it comes, here it comes…_ "MAKA CHOP!"

I knew it. I _so_ knew it.

"Why am I getting it for saving you?" I groaned. "I mean, I saved your life and got away with only a few bruises. That's a _pretty_ damn good deal."

"Listen up, _pretty boy_," She growled. (It was hilarious, actually.) "I already told you! Your life is worth more than mine!" My grin dropped. I glared at her.

"No," I hissed dangerously. "_You_ listen up. Don't _ever _assume that my life is worth more than yours, because one day, that stupid, fucking little _naïve_ mind of yours will get yourself killed."

She lifted up her chin proudly.

"Don't _you_ dare assume that I'm better off. There are things that even _you_," Maka spat out the word, "Wouldn't know. So fuck off!" She stomped off, pigtails flying (and not to break the mood or anything, but her skirt was flying up as well and I could almost see her panties). I followed her.

"What are you doing?" She asked indignantly.

"Making sure you don't get killed before I run off and never see you again," I said with a roll of my (ahem, muscular) shoulders.

We walked in silence, but I think I saw her bite down on her lip. Damn.

* * *

The gang was a mess. I had brushed off Maka when we got to the neighborhood (mostly cuz my feet were starting to hurt like hell) and had immediately smelled smoke when I neared the vicinities of the hideout.

"Is there a fire?" I mumbled, ducking under the doorway (and past that very doorway was the now-typical barrage of sleeping drunken people and… it was emptier now for some reason). Kazu, one of the gang members, turned and rolled his eyes at me.

"Shouldn't you be used to people smoking by now?" His brown hair fell over his eyes and he gave me a large smirk.

"Shouldn't you be used to being an idiot?" The words rolled off of my tongue as I brushed past Kazu. He just snorted, used to my blasé attitude.

"Heard that Shinigami-sama's in trouble," Kazu said with reverence to the name (thought I honestly had no idea why).

"Him? No way." The only scenario that I could imagine Shinigami in trouble… actually, there wasn't one.

"You don't believe me?" He frowned at me. "Go ask Kid."

As usual, I found Kid straightening up the place in a little depressing dark corner. He sobbed to the ground as he shoved people into symmetrical positions (and occasionally, if there were sleeping or too damn fat, he kicked them until they moved). I got his attention by standing there, breaking the symmetry. He turned on me faster than I could blink.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING STANDING THERE?!" He roared.

"Hey, Kid." I said, ignoring him completely. "Where's your father?"

He stared at me blankly.

"Ah…" He brushed his clothes, pushed me to the side slightly, assessed me twice, and then finally looked back up. "He's right behind you." _What the fuck?_

I whirled around, and there, in typical Shinigami-style, was the Death God himself.

"Fuck you, Kazu," I muttered before glaring up at Shinigami with the most hatred I could drum up at the moment. "Where the _hell_ have you been? The place is a mess!" (Not that I gave a crap, but maybe if I pretended to, it would push me towards that rank up. Psh.)

"None of your business, boy," The man sneered voice completely different from his usual playful one. It resonated with different layers of burden and dark and pain and _it scared the shit out of me_ (but you don't need to know that). "What I would like to know is where _you've_ been."

"None of your business, old fart." I stared right back. It was slightly unnerving, staring into empty black holes and getting no response (have you ever talked to a fridge magnet? It's kinda like that). After five long seconds, he finally moved.

"Ungrateful little prat," He laughed humorlessly. "I take you in and you turn into a little bastard." There was that laugh again, but this time it sounded slightly more… amused. He turned around, sighed, and (Shinigami took off his mask! Nah, I wish) when he turned around again, he was back to normal. "My apologies, Soul. It has been very stressful lately, and although I do not appreciate in the slightest that you have been disappearing without any objective," He paused and shook his head mock-affectionately. "I can accept that any immature boy (Hey, I'm not that bad!) would do such. Although, you would definitely learn much from my son." I bristled slightly at his last words.

"Whatever," I muttered. Keeping my eyes down and letting my ivory hair fall over my face, I walked right past him with my back straight for once. I heard him muttering something to Kid and wondered to myself,

_Is everyone against me?_

* * *

It was raining. Great, I mused to myself. First Maka gets pissed at me (not like I care. Do I _sound_ like I care? …Really? Shut up), Shinigami gets pissed at me, and now _I'm_ pissed at me. The small room I occupied (bed, walls, window, all that crap. No porn magazines, I _swear_…) seemed even emptier than usual with the rain giving me a steady, lonesome beat. My eyes drifted close as the hours wore on.

The sound of crashing glass woke me.

The second I sprang out of the mattress, wind and rain pelted my face, and I nearly stabbed my toe on a large dagger that had imbedded itself in the floor (thankfully, not me) with a piece of paper attached. A note? (Whoever had sent me it had better included an apology for the broken window, or they'd have some serious explaining to do.)

I ripped it from the dagger.

_Central park _was scribbled in that same curly script from the letter. In a swift movement, it was ripped into pieces.

I only barely managed to hop out of the window without getting cut (don't ask how).

* * *

My shoes squeaked as I rounded the corner and swung into Central Park. There was no one there as far as I could see (or rather, as far as the rain allowed). Curious, I stepped further in, and came upon the very park bench that I had first met Maka. Without realizing it, a smile crept onto my face.

"_Fuck off_," She had snarled to me that day. I laughed bitterly. Why hadn't I? Would have saved me a lot of trouble, too. I was in too deep, and I didn't know how long I could keep it up.

"Hello, Soul."

I whirled around. No one there. Suddenly, a hand was on my shoulder. I spun around and punched…

…the empty air. Just two feet away from my fist was a woman cloaked head to toe in black. Blonde hair framed her face and was braided in front- her face reminded me very much of a snake poised to kill.

"Who the hell are you?" I growled.

"Now, now," She purred, sauntering up to me. "No need to get so… wound up."

I felt my muscles tighten up even more.

"What do you want with me?" I asked, this time slightly softer.

"The very words of cornered prey," The strange woman laughed delightedly, and then looked at me with the most corrupted smile I'd ever seen. "My name is Medusa. Surely you've heard of me?"

I nodded; I had. Medusa was the rumored 'slip-skin snake'. She was an experienced assassin and was "A lackey of Noah's, right?" She chuckled, water over jagged stones, and it sent shudders down my back.

"No," She murmured. "I am much more than an ordinary lackey." She looked at me with penetrating golden eyes, and I feared for a moment that, just like in the myths, her head would explode into a fury of snakes. "I have to admit that I am a tad… curious," She said, looking at me with a thin smile. "About the reason that you are not where you belong." I stiffened.

"Fuck off," I growled, shifting into a position more suited for attack. "It's none of your business."

"Oh, but it is," Medusa said wryly. "We both have our reasons for hating Noah, do we not?" _How the hell did she know?_

"Unrelated," I said grudgingly. She came closer still.

"Hate can drum up power," Medusa murmured. "I wish to extend a hand in… partnership." She said the word in a way that made no sense to me- happy?

"No reason," I snorted. "I don't even know you well enough to trust you." And then, as an add on that I had learned in my years in Shinigami's gang, I added, "What's it in for me?"

"I can offer you the revenge that you seek," She said. "I can offer you safety from threats (and from the way she moved, I didn't doubt it), and most of all…" She paused dramatically.

"What?" I hedged, only slightly unwilling.

"I can teach you to accept _it_," She said, looking at me expectantly. "Live with it. Use it to-"

"_Shit_," I cut her off, furious. "What the fucking hell? How did you get to know that?" I grabbed her by the collar, and she made no move to stop me. We were inches apart.

"You would be surprised," She murmured quietly, "to know the amount of people I know who have a similar… problem to yours." Suddenly, a smile lit up her dark face and if we were in another place and another time, I would have thought her innocent. "All of which I have helped."

"Great, a psycho therapist," I spat out. "An oxymoron if I ever knew one."

"Do you accept my offer or not?" She ground out venomously. I grinned- looked like the dangerous Medusa had a slight problem herself- she sounded impatient.

"I'll… think about it." Classic response- I mentally patted myself on the back. I saw her nostrils flare, and for a second her face twisted into one of fury.

"Why you little…" She forced herself to take a breath, and then her face was back to normal (meaning fucking scary, that is). "Very well. I will give you approximately a month," Medusa suddenly sounded thoughtful. Before I could accept or reject, she was gone. There was something on my head, too. A piece of paper.

_You little shit._

"I try my best," I muttered under my breath.

* * *

The sunlight hit my eyes and startled me awake. I sat up, slipped off the bed and nearly hit myself with the dagger that was _still_ there. Why the hell did I leave it there anyway? I threw it out the window (I think I heard a meow. Oops) and rushed out…

…and crashed straight into Shinigami.

"Ah," He said, as if something totally unexpected had just happened. "Just the person I wanted to see."

"Not me," I said foully. I still had a headache from my encounter last night with Medusa. "Please not me."

Five minutes later, I was standing in his office with a large bruise on my head.

"As punishment for slacking off these few days," He began slyly.

"It's your fault for disappearing," I said grouchily. (Shinigami hit me again.)

"I have another assignment for you."

I thought about the other times that he had assigned me to a mission, thought of Maka, and my blood ran cold. "I'm… afraid that I can't do that."

"Soul," He said slowly, deliberately, like he was talking to a five year old about something very important. "This mission is vital. If you accomplish this, I will consider giving you a rank equal to Black Star's." I groaned. Hitting my weak spot on purpose.

"Fine." _Not again…_

* * *

"WHOSE ASSES ARE WE KICKIN' TODAY?" Black Star yelled, jumping up and down excitedly. Kid frowned and pointed out that Black Star's jumps were slightly lopsided as I walked slowly alongside him.

We were on our way to… actually, I had no freakin' clue. Kid took a deep, impatient sigh.

"Actually, we're just here on a reconnaissance mission," He said, rubbing both side of his temples (even if probably only one side hurt). "So our job is to be as discreet as possible."

"Then why bother bringing Black Star?" I asked dryly. Kid and Black Star both shot me a dirty glance.

"If there is a chance we'll be fighting," Kid said slowly. "Then Black Star will be essential." Huh. So then the place we were going was dangerous? Kid shook his head as if shaking away a thought, and stopped in the middle of an empty street.

Then, he bent down and flung aside a manhole (and the funny thing is, it landed exactly in the middle of the street).

"No way," I shook my head vigorously. "I have white hair! It's like… having white clothes!"

"What are you now, a girl?" Black Star grinned. "I think it's cooler this way! I get to see a brand new area of the place I'm gonna rule sooner or later…" He flashed me a quick thumbs-up and jumped straight in. Kid flinched, but slowly made his way down.

I stared. No way getting around this. So with a shudder of disgust, I made my way down.

It was dark, dank, and smelled like _shit_. Probably cuz there was some. Kid led us through dark pathways that crisscrossed so many times I started losing track of them.

Finally, we came to a dead end. With un-Kid-like behavior, Kid placed his hand on the _right_ side of the wall.

And to my amazement, it slid open to reveal a completely un-sewer like area. We were ushered in hurriedly and the door slammed right behind me, almost catching my pants in the process. As Black Star proceeded to attempt to _not_ slam into a wall (and Kid was taking turns wiping his hands on both sides of a handkerchief), I took in our surroundings.

It was a small room, marble floors with many boxes. In any case, it was dimly lit with some candles on both the left and right side, and it would probably light the whole place on fire if they fell onto the boxes. A large door covered the entire fourth wall, metallic and possibly a foot thick (judging by the quiet rap Kid gave it). With a devilish smirk, Black Star pointed to an air vent.

"Again?" I groaned. I guess I spoke too soon, because not one minute later we were on our stomachs and crawling. Like the last vent I was in, it was small, cramped and dusty (plus, Black Star kept farting). We went along a few dark passageways, and then suddenly, Kid pushed us down an opening. We landed on our feet (actually, we all fell on our ass, but just pretend for our sakes) and were pushed into yet another dark corridor.

"A library?" Black Star groaned. "And here I thought we were here to kick ass!"

"We're looking up anything you can find on Noah," Kid threw over his shoulder, walking to a large bookshelf that reached the (thirty foot high) ceiling. It was a small room, but getting through the books would take a while. Black Star started shuffling through the books, grumbling to himself.

"Noah?" I frowned. "Why bother? No one would even try writing anything on him." Kid set down several books and then looked at me oddly.

"Actually, we're trying to find information on Eibon." His brow furrowed as he spoke, and it seemed like the name bothered him greatly. "There's a better chance of finding something on him relative to Noah than by himself." My mouth clamped tightly involuntarily, and without a warning, I started walking away.

"Hey, where're ya goin, Soul?" Black Star almost shouted, waving a fist at me. Probably irritated.

"Don't worry, I won't let myself get caught." I could feel Kid's stare on my back as I left the room.

* * *

I know it sounds weird, but the place _smelled_ familiar. Rang a bell in the back of my head, and wouldn't stop bugging me. Had I been here before? There weren't any alarms to trip, so it couldn't have been that important a place (or at least, in my current standards). I'd been trained to recognize any traps of any sort, and there weren't even security cameras.

A loud bang shocked my out of my thoughts.

I held my breath, and peeked around the corner. A large room, no doors, and decorated lavishly. Or at least, it used to be- chairs and lamps lay on the ground in ruins. I blinked. _What the hell had happened here?_

"FUCK OFF!" A voice screamed. _I knew that voice_…

_What the hell was Maka doing here? AGAIN?_

A chair slammed into the wall, and I heard the clattering of glass. Eyes widening, I couldn't help but inch a little closer. Pigtails flying, I saw Maka fly back, skidding against the floor on her feet. Ragnarok was there, fighting her… I felt a bead of sweat roll down my face.

She was matching him.

I had been so nervous when she had been taken and I _still_ had my ass creamed. But Maka was fighting this guy tooth for tooth, and… was it me, or was she winning? His fists were a blur, but Maka legs always shot up to block him, leaving her arms to do as she pleased. How come I didn't know that she could fight like that?

"Give up," Ragnarok growled out. His voice seemed a little weak, though, and Maka smirked.

"Getting tired?"

He snarled at her in an animalistic way, and it sent shudders down my spine. She didn't even flinch when he tried to sweep her feet, only jumped lightly up and made to kick his face. When he blocked, she merely sprang off in a graceful flip and continued her attack. Maka was powerful. Maka was deadly. Maka was, quite honestly, starting to confuse me. Why had she been so beaten when fighting Chrona, not even resisting when she had this kind of skill? Hell, she might even be better than _me_.

It was kinda uncool, thinking that I had rushed to protect her when she herself was more capable of doing so.

Maka darted forward confidently, and they were out of my sight again, behind a wall. I inched forward nervously- was she alright?

Suddenly, I felt the cool press of metal against my neck.

"Long time no see… Soul."

* * *

A/N: Hooray! Now that that's done… I have to know, do you guys prefer ChroRag or ChroKid?

And so, a big thanks to:

ToraHimeSama

Cuna99

Sanzo4ever

Gaara'slilsis

ExplosivePhase

SingerToPotatos

Mizora

MoonChild1959

DearlyBeloved-13

Eh… I can't tell you guys how much your reviews mean to me~ It makes me wanna cry…

So, ahem, on that note… Press the review button to make me happy again. Hehe~


	5. Chapter 5

"What the hell are you doing here?" I hissed through clenched teeth. It seemed like that was the only thing I'd been doing nowadays- questioning and never knowing. It pissed me off. I fought pathetically against the strong grip, but my captor just chuckled lowly in my ear.

"I'm sorry about this, Soul."

I felt a very, very dim pressure at the back of my head, and then all went black.

* * *

Have you ever had one of those days where everything just seemed shitty? Like maybe you had a bad dream or something in the morning, spilled milk all over your pants, got pranked on the bus. And then, just as a nice kick to the face, you had a huge test you didn't study for because you thought it was next _month?_

This was kinda like that.

I woke up (not from a bad dream) behind iron bars. It seemed like years since I told Kid that I wouldn't get caught. (Dang. I hope hell doesn't have a special place for hypocrites, because) Here I was, battered, cold, wet, and behind bars. I had honestly always thought I'd be sent somewhere like this for a different reason, but I guess God has a way of proving people wrong. I tried to stand up, flinching with every movement.

It took me an entire five minutes of wincing before I realized that someone else shared my cell. Not five feet away from me was a small frame with messy blonde hair. My entire body froze; my knees buckled under me.

"Maka," I gasped out, rushing to her side. I fell to my knees in a completely not cool manner, but I didn't give a crap. The cement was wet and hard underneath me. "Maka, are you all right?" My large hands covered nearly half of her waist as I shook her, and to my relief, I heard her make a small noise. Emerald orbs slid open.

"Soul…" She tried to sit up, took in a sharp gust of air, and fell onto my side. "Soul, you…" Maka smiled weakly, and then lightly tapped my head.

"Was that a Maka chop?" I asked, but she didn't answer. Her eyes had closed again, and her breathing slowed.

And then, to my ultimate horror, I felt my face heat up in embarrassment. Here I was, and with all the crimes I've done, I was _blushing_ because tiny-tits was leaning on me? I was such an idiot. I mean, she was just a friend-

My thought process stopped abruptly. No way. Not a friend. I couldn't afford to think of anyone, maybe not even myself, like that. I had been reminded of the consequences many times. Something in my mind snapped.

_Long, adorned legs standing over me. Accusing voices. Pounding rain. _

_Endless black and white. Over and over and over and over…_

_White. So much of it, it made me sick. A revelation. Horror, more horror…_

Kid and Black Star, were they my friends? I felt myself tremble, and realized that my palms were clammy and cold. Would I be endangering them just by being with them? I laughed harshly at myself. Looked like wherever I went, I couldn't find solace. Nowhere was safe from me. What a laugh. My hands trembled, and I took a quick intake of breath- no matter that the air was moldy and stank with dread. I needed to control myself. Concentrate on breathing, I told myself. In and out, in and out, in and out…

Somehow, in my transfixed state, Maka's hand found its way to mine, and I drifted to sleep.

* * *

There was a sharp, cracking pain on the side of my rib, and it jolted me awake. I groaned, and tried to move, but my body was sluggish and still half asleep.

"Aww," Someone cackled. "How sweet. Thought it might do ya some good if I tossed ya little girlfriend in there with ya." I glanced up. A man with a bandage over his nose and spiky brown-orange hair gave me a dirty smile. But that wasn't what caught my attention. Two things, actually. I tried to layer myself over Maka, who was still sleeping, in a way that shielded her from him.

First, the large ring of keys that hung at his side, row after row of metal. I gulped, and immediately averted my eyes, because on the other side was a chainsaw.

"The name's Giriko," Drunken eyes appraised me. "I'm the 'keeper round here." He smiled jaggedly. "Gotta say, man, you don't have the best of taste." His beady black eyes wandered to Maka's form, hidden behind me.

"She isn't my girlfriend," I growled. "She's not even my friend."

"Whatever," Giriko shrugged. "That's not the way it looks." I blinked, and realized that I was hunched over Maka protectively. I snapped forward so fast that my spine nearly broke in two. He laughed, and the pain in my side worsened.

"Good thing ya ain't bleeding," Giriko said after a while. "Medusa'd have my head." Then his eyes widened, and he realized that he had given away too much.

"Medusa," I snarled venomously. I should have known. That smile of hers really had been concealing something. What pissed me off was that I didn't see it coming; what was I, chopped liver? I felt Maka stir slightly in response to the name. Giriko caught the motion, and his mouth twisted into a dark, sadistic grin.

"Of course," He breathed, "I could just solve the problem." The hand holding the chainsaw twitched, and his eyes widened almost infinitesimally.

"Yeah," I snorted. "Two bloody bodies lying in the corner of _your_ cell is completely inconspicuous."

"Giriko."

We both froze at the same time. It was almost comical.

Light steps echoed through the dimness, legs appearing from a set of stairs hidden behind the concrete wall. Out of the darkness stepped the last person I really wanted to see.

"Speak of the devil," I said dryly. Medusa just smiled.

"I hope Giriko hasn't been too inhospitable."

"Not at all," I nodded at the cell I shared with Maka. "In fact, we're absolutely loving the place you got here." Her lips twitched into a smile, and for a second, I wondered if she knew I was being sarcastic.

"Would you two prefer to stay in a place slightly more… comfortable?" Amusement flickered through her eyes. Amusement from a woman like her was a gun pointed at your head.

"No." Short, blunt, and to the point. Her smile faltered for a moment, but came back when her eyes wandered to Maka. And just like that, her insanely large and sadistic smile flashed onto her face. I flinched.

"It has to be more than coincidence," She murmured to herself. Medusa swung around for a moment, and then brushed her fingers lightly against Giriko's cheek. Her voice, however, was strong and dark. "Giriko, I will not tolerate any foolishness. I will have you switch with Eruka for now." Another pause, and then Medusa's eyes focused on Maka for a moment. I hissed at her. She laughed, and made to leave, Giriko following.

I don't know how long I stayed crouching over Maka, but when she finally stirred, my head whipped back.

"Maka," I said, relieved. She sat up, rubbing her eyes, and then stared straight at me.

"Soul?" Maka blinked rapidly, and then took in our surroundings with a small frown. "How… ah." Then she looked sharply at me. "Don't tell me you tried to help me again!"

Oh yeah. I had almost forgotten about that…

"How come you never told me you could fight like that?" I growled, standing up fully so I was facing her. Her emerald eyes widened, and then narrowed again.

"Maybe," She retaliated, "It never occurred to me that an idiotic boy would poke his nose into other people's business and get his assed kicked where it wasn't needed!"

"Maybe," I retorted. "And maybe that other person had been getting _her_ ass kicked and didn't even show signs of fighting back when I first saw her!"

"_Maybe,_" Maka growled, "You shouldn't have cared!"

We stared at each other, both furious in our own right. I took a deep breath, and then closed my eyes.

"Yeah. I shouldn't have." I heard Maka give a start, and then I looked up at her with a crooked grin. "But it's too late now, isn't it?" The girl tilted her head slightly, obviously unwilling to admit I was right. I almost laughed.

"So…" I fingered the dust on the cell floor with my toe. "You mind telling me exactly what this _business_ is?"

"Oh," Maka flushed, looking away. "It's… a little personal." I scowled. I had anticipated her to say that, but never really expected it. She scratched her head awkwardly, and then shot at me, "What about you, then?"

"It's a little complicated." I smirked at her, and she glared right back up at me. I don't know how, but we spent the next few… who knows _how_ long, talking and bantering.

She was _older_ than me, I was surprised to find out. She was seventeen whereas I was sixteen, and as I had already found out, loved books and hated her father. I watched her eyes light up and dim as she told me about her family, and hedged a little, clearly avoiding some important topics. I didn't ask her about them, though. Her mother had nearly walked out when her father had been too flighty (huh, that drooling piece of trash? Who knew?), and the relationship between the two had been tense since. Her mother, Kami, couldn't leave because the household would collapse if only one person were to take charge, but she wasn't exactly friendly with her husband, either. When she spoke of her mother, Maka's eyes shone with such an excited light that I couldn't help but crack a smile. And then, to my surprise, she asked me about my life.

"I barely know anything about you," She whined.

"You probably don't want to." My voice had the strong undercurrent of a warning, but she just shook her head and smiled at me. I don't know if it was the fact that I was lonely, or that damned (as much as I hated to admit it) adorable smile that did me in, but I started talking.

I felt my body tense when hers did as I explained that I was in a gang. But her eyes didn't hesitate when she sat down besides me, and I relaxed. I didn't explain how I came to be in the gang or why I wanted to move up so badly, but I told her about the lifestyle. Kid, Black Star, and I were the only ones that really talked to Shinigami. Maybe it was because we were kids, but we were the only ones that took orders from him. The rest of the guys did as they pleased.

"He provides rooms for you?" Maka's nose wrinkled slightly. "That's really weird."

"Yeah," I drawled out. "But none of us complain." I shot her a warning glance. "You're not gonna tell your father, are you?"

"I'd rather drop dead," She snorted. Then her eyes opened into that warm smile again. My body tensed again, for a completely different reason. "You're my friend, Soul."

Friend. There was that word again. I couldn't possibly be near her- it was selfish. Stupid, I reminded myself, and incredibly… actually, lightening. Being near Maka was like being with an old friend, even if we barely knew each other. Life's not linear at all. I cursed at myself for giving into myself, but at the same time I wanted to do so badly. Like I was a drug addict. I shot Maka a glance- she was gazing at me worriedly. I laughed bitterly, and shook my head. No- I didn't have to see her again. I would force myself not to.

But I had to get her out of here first.

In the dim glow of the candles, we sat there, wondering just when we would get out.

* * *

"Eh? The new prisoners are just kids?" Maka and I glanced up, seeing a stick-thin woman with a weird hat walk up to the cell. Her long, pale hair streamed way past her shoulders as she tilted her head, squinting at us. Ah. This must be the replacement jail keeper.

"What? This probably isn't anything new." I glared harshly at her, and watched the woman shudder. Now _that_ was a laugh. In fact, Maka laughed quietly next to me. Eruka pouted, face puckered up, and I immediately knew that this woman was one that could be swayed easily.

"Medusa isn't that kind of person," Eruka pursed her lips. "Although, she is really scary…"

"Yeah. I'd be willing to bet that she's awfully violent, too." I smiled innocently. Eruka's round eyes told me she didn't buy it.

"And..?" Her tone was impatient.

"And so," I smoothly grabbed Maka by the neck and held a switchblade that had been in my pocket (don't ask) to her neck in one fluid motion. "This shouldn't bother her, right?"

Eruka gave a start, and then frowned. In my arms, Maka grasped frantically at my sleeve, trying to kick and punch. I held her down- she might have better technique, but guys were physically stronger. Still, it took a heck lot of effort.

"Ah… um…" Eruka's frown deepened even more. "Why of course… no… um…" Sweat beaded on her face. I smirked. This was _too_ easy. There were several moments of awkward silence (with Eruka fidgeting nervously and Maka struggling in my arms, and me breathing unevenly because I was weak from lack of sleep and Maka was fucking _strong_ for a girl) before Eruka finally gave in.

"What do you _want_?" She wailed quietly.

"Obvious," I growled, impatient. "Out."

It took a while for the idiot to fumble with the keys (was Medusa so desperate she'd take even a person like this?), finding the right one and pushing it into the slot. I let go of Maka as the entrance slid open, but kept a tight grip on her wrist. She shot me a warning glance (thank the heavens that Maka had a brain, or I'd be on the floor by now), but didn't say anything. As I made to move, Eruka gripped my sleeve like it was a lifeboat and then whispered pathetically,

"Take me with you!"

"No." I turned around slowly, so as not to frighten her (red eyes aren't exactly the best color to have when trying not to be intimidating). "You'll just burden us- I mean, me."

"The place is filled to the brim with traps," Eruka hissed. Her already large eyes widened with fear at the thought. "I know the painless way out."

A part of me wondered why this woman hadn't already left if she knew how to escape, but a safer route was always welcome. I nodded slightly, and her face beamed.

"What are you thinking?" Maka hissed to me.

"Better safe than sorry," I muttered back, feeling like the least cool guy on earth at the moment.

When Eruka moved, she bounced as if hopping like a frog. Her eyes darted to and fro, looking at the randomly placed prisoners in cells. Some people flew to the bars and grasped them tightly, hissing, their knuckles white. Some merely glanced up to see what was going on, and some shouted profanities. Eruka quietly told them to shut up.

"Soul," Maka said quietly, tugging on my sleeve. "Look."

Maka was pointing to a man with long hair, sitting inside of the cell with his knees up and his arms draped over them. It looked like there was a little girl sitting with him, and he was whispering to her quietly. When the light caught in the girl's eyes, I saw tears glint in them. I swore in my head, knowing that it would be stupid to bring involve even more people, but I couldn't help it.

"Eruka," I said quietly. When she turned around, I gestured towards the two in the cell. "Free them."

"N-no way," Eruka stuttered, backing up with her hands clenched into fists against her chest. "That man is dangerous." She shuddered violently. "He's on par with Medusa." Suddenly, there was a fist holding her up in the air, and with a start, I realized it was my own.

"Now." My sanity shrank back, dangerously, and I had to shake my head violently to clear the fogginess. "Let them out." I gave her the harshest glare I had. Eruka closed her eyes, a humongous pout on her face, and then wailed,

"Oh, fine, fine, fine!! Put me down!"

As Eruka scrambled to unlock the cell, a few other prisoners begged to be freed as well, promising me untold riches and fame. Psh. Yeah, right. I saw Maka smile at me, and then she whispered, "You really are a good guy, Soul."

My amusement quickly plummeted. I turned to tell her that she was wrong, but the man from the cell greeted me with a quiet calmness about him. In his left arm, he cradled the girl carefully, who looked at me with a surprisingly cheerful face.

"Thank you, mister," Her voice was quiet, but I could hear a slight lisp. "You're nice."

"Come on, we have to go," Eruka was beside herself with tears now. We began to move again, quickly, towards a darker passage.

"Thank you," The man spoke, voice deep and gravelly. "My name is Mifune. I am in your debt."

"No you're not," I retorted with a scowl. "I just gave you back what was yours to begin with." Silence settled over us again, but I think I saw him smile slightly out of the corner of my eye.

"Here," Eruka said, pushing aside a slab of stone, and then I flinched. _Another_ tiny, dark tunnel? This was getting to be annoyingly repetitive. But when Maka crawled in, I had no choice but to follow. This time, the way was a lot shorter, and we found ourselves in the woods not shortly after.

Suddenly, an alarm blasted.

"No," Eruka gasped out. "We've been found out! What will we do?"

"Retard," I said. "Run like hell."

We didn't get very far.

Just when the shrubbery seemed to start to clear, five men sprang out of nowhere, each armed with knives and pistols. Eruka let out a sob. I slid into a position better suited for fighting, and felt Mifune and Maka do the same besides me. The little girl clutched Mifune's leg tightly- there was no way we could fight like this. The men slid closer- those who had guns pointed them towards us.

"Hell no, you aren't," I snarled to Maka. "There is no way you are staying."

"Oh, yes I am." Maka stared back at me defiantly. "I'm a better fighter than you are." I felt my lips draw back slightly, and the next sound that came out of me was guttural, animalistic. The men drew back a little- even Mifune seemed surprise.

"That's why you are going to take her," I jabbed a finger at the little girl, "And get out of here." I felt Mifune give a start, but when he saw Maka's position, he relaxed a little. I studied her a little closer- she really did seem suited for a fight, lithe and ready.

There was no way she was staying.

"What about me?" Eruka wailed, and one of the men shook out of his stupor, shooting at her. There was a _thunk_ in the trunk next to Eruka, who shrank back.

"Get out of here, now!" I growled at Maka. She cursed at me, just as she ought to- but gathered Angela into her arms and made a break for it, Eruka trailing behind. Two of the men raised their pistols, ready to fire. Mifune and I took them down at the same time. I slapped the gun away- the man's grip was poor- slammed his shins, and elbowed his gut at the same time. He staggered back, leaving a pathetic opening. I drew my fist back, but I could already feel the presence of other men coming towards me. In two swift movements, I picked up the gun and shot both of them.

Now, I've never killed before. I didn't intend to start, and when they wouldn't be deterred by the injuries I gave them, my body froze up.

_What the hell was I supposed to do now?_

I was suddenly knocked down at the same time I heard an explosion.

"Don't let your guard down, kid," I heard Mifune growl into my ear. He grabbed the gun from me, and killed the men surrounding us. "If you can't kill, then leave it to me."

We fell into an easy pattern; I quickly disabled the surrounding men, and he finished them off. I didn't dare look at the bodies, and focused on the growing onslaught of lackeys.

"Medusa," I heard Mifune say.

"That bitch," I growled agreeably while punching a random person in the face. It felt good, actually. These guys were obviously inexperienced.

"My, my, it seems that you've grown bitter after our short meeting."

Mifune shot me a glance as Medusa slid from the shadows of the forest. The men immediately stopped and drew back. Eh. Like they actually made a difference. The killing aura that Medusa was sending off in waves quickly overshadowed the presence of several others. I took a step back at the same time Mifune stepped forward.

"Get out of here, kid," Mifune said without peeling his eyes from Medusa. "You're dead if you don't." His hands twitched, and Medusa didn't let this slip her gaze.

"Missing these?" She crooned, tossing two, long swords to Mifune. He caught them, and didn't bother asking questions. He unsheathed them fluidly, and even an amateur could tell that these swords were like any other part of his body. I scrambled back- this fight was probably way off my level.

I had no idea how right I was.

They met in an awesome clash of sparks, disappeared, and met again. I couldn't see them, and wondered how the _hell_ this could be happening. Was this kind of movement even humanly possible? I contemplated it being an illusion, but the pounding blows on the surrounding trees didn't seem fake. Mifune slid back, pausing for a moment, and he murmured something.  
"I never said I fought fair." Medusa said slyly.

I didn't notice the presence behind me until it was too late.

* * *

A/N: I added a bunch of stuff randomly, so if there's something confusing, just tell me. And yes, I _love_ cliffies. Just in case you couldn't tell~

Thanks to:

Deiade Forgotten

Clara

Superanimelover1234

Cuna999

CS

DearlyBeloved-13

Anime-is-mi-life

ToraHimeSama

Mizora

Sanzo4ever

Your comments make my heart all warm and fuzzy! Just as a warning, the next chapter might be written in Maka's POV. Or maybe the chapter after that. Yeah.

Reviews are well appreciated!


	6. Chapter 6

"Hey, kid. Wake up."

Now, maybe you haven't figured it out yet, but I hate dark places. Loathe them. It's where I live, the very description of _me_, but I hate it.

When I opened my eyes, it was dark. I heard Mifune grunt next to me when I tried to stand up.

"Don't bother. We're chained." I strained my eyes through the darkness, and saw that there were shackles around me. I seemed to be chained in a... cage? I heard a few other distant moans, but ignored them. My head felt... numb.

"You alright kid? You took quite the hit."

"Not kid. My name's Soul." I turned to look at him and made out his eyes- they looked grim. "Where are we?"

"Some black market auction," Mifune said wryly. "and it appears that we're two of the items being auctioned off."

I groaned when the numbness in my head became pain, and wondered how a mere escape could have gone downhill so quickly. "What _happened_?"

"Someone hit you. A man." Mifune paused heavily, and then went on. "I didn't see his face. Medusa was right there when I turned around..."

Oh. _Oh_. That meant that he had been trying to protect me... Damn. Could I go _anywhere_ without dragging someone down with me? I opened my mouth to say something, but there was a sudden _thunk_, and the cage gave a groan.

"What the fuck?" I snarled, struggling against the chains. There was a chuckle as we began to move.

"A large, well-built man," A rough voice mused. "and an unusual looking boy. Red eyes, and white hair... are you albino, boy?" The cage moved through a door of some sort, and a dim light cast a glow on our surroundings.

There were two men in dark suits carrying the cage. Walking alongside it was a short, round man with a puffy red face. His hair almost gave the impression that he had horns, and his eyes were small and beady. I attempted to flip him off and failed rather valiantly, settling for the death glare instead.

"You better not show attitude in front of the buyers, boy! The consequences will be dire." He chuckled, and walked ahead.

Mifune and I sat in silence, listening to the steady beat of the feet of the men carrying the cage. There was a dimly lit hall, and then we veered through several corners, finally coming onto a small, slightly better lit stage. The man with the red face gave a little happy sigh, and the small audience of about thirty people immediately quieted.

Thus started the auctions.

Words flowed from the man's mouth naturally (but how could something that _stupid_ be natural?) and smoothly as I heard the numbers increase to insanely large. Almost all the buyers were either large and charismatic or pale and ghostly. Each wore expensive, designer brands meant to preen with. It pissed me off.

And then, for some reason, I let out a short, loud laugh. It sounded more like a bark to me. The oddly quiet buyers started murmuring. Those who had raised their numbers faltered, unsure. "You bastards," The words were out of my mouth before I knew what was going on. "the lot of you, sick, rich fat asses-"

Suddenly, an intense pain shot through me, spreading in an instant from my neck to the rest of my body. It felt like my skin was burning, peeling... my organs were on fire...

I slumped to the bottom of the cage, barely conscious.

"I apologize for that," The man at the podium said, sounding amused. "We can assure you that this will not happen again."

"Soul," Mifune growled lowly. "You idiot!"

"How was I supposed to know that they had put a shock collar on me?" My words sounded weak and throaty. (And despite the situation, I couldn't help but be glad Maka wasn't here to watch this.)

"Don't do anything else stupid." Mifune ignored my comment. "It's our good luck that they're selling us as a pair- we distract more easily. Our best chance to escape is once the transaction is complete and the collars are removed..." His face darkened. "If they're removed, that is."

"And _sold_ to the _beautiful_ young lady in the far right corner!"The man pounded down, and we began to be moved once again.

"And if they don't?" I murmured. My head was still spinning, and the thought of failure to escape burned in my mind. I think I already knew the answer before Mifune turned to me.

"We die."

* * *

"Where the hell is she- ow!" I was cut off when a small shock emanated from the collar. I rubbed my arm irritably.

"Do not talk unless addressed," The man attending to us spoke monotonously, as if dealing with the situation all the time.

"Why bother doing things halfway?" I knew the hard way that they were capable of producing a much, much stronger shock. "Ow!" I was shocked again.

"We must not show physical evidence of damaging our goods," The man droned. I bit down on my tongue to keep from retorting (I was an item now?!), and saw Mifune nod almost infinitesimally as we moved into a smaller, better lit room that was lavishly furnished. Mifune and I were pushed out roughly and chained to a large, iron hook on the wall.

"The items have been locked down," The man spoke into a phone. He snapped it shut and appraised us for a moment, clearly dubious.

"This man..." The man pointed at Mifune. "Is very well built. He should make an excellent slave or bodyguard. You however," The finger swung to me. "seem rather useless. Perhaps the lady will gouge out your eyes and sell them? They glow vividly like rubies." I tried to lunge forward at him, but stopped short, losing my footing and falling. At that moment, the door swung open.

A tall, lanky woman with jet black hair walked in, wearing a tight (but not at all flattering) dress. She glanced at my state as I struggled to get up.

"My, my," She said softly. Her voice was scratchy yet confident (though I had no idea in hell why). "You didn't hit him down, did you?"

"No, ma'am. They're all yours. I shall unchain them at your command." Even though his words were polite, the man still sounded extremely bored. She glanced at Mifune and me, and then smiled gently.

"I heard his words," she said. "but I must disagree. Your skill as a fighter is not yet on par with this man... but you are a diamond in the rough."

"Sure, sure," I snorted. "and you're not a bitch."

A gun pressed against my head. I didn't let my glare waver. I saw amusement flicker in her dark eyes as she moved closer to us.

"One must always wait if they wish to achieve good things," she murmured. "I have stayed motionless for a long time, watching, learning, feeling. I feel through experience that you can be shaped into a more..." There was a pause, one that I felt was more for theatrical purposes than unintentional. "Hardened, refined soul."

"My ass," I hissed. Mifune sent me yet another warning glance that I ignored, as the gun pressed to my head cocked.

"My most sincere apologies, ma'am," The man said, not at all apologetic.

"Don't worry," She laughed thinly. "I have seen fit to complete our transaction."

"Thank you, ma'am."

Her laugh felt me leaving like the most hollow, lifeless, and cold I'd ever been. It was as if she had sucked all the blood out of me. I took a shaky breath as the woman talked to the guard about the price, and gave Mifune a ready nod. The man took us off the hook, shoving us along, and we walked as four to yet another room. This one was much larger, less lavish, and seemed to have an open exit somewhere- I took a deep breath as cold air hit my face, inhaling the scents of cement, grass, and rain.

"Your vehicle, ma'am?"

"Parked right around the corner."

_Shit_. They were putting us in the car first. Well, shoulda known. I frowned, feeling Mifune's irritation, which was on the same level as mine. I turned my head- he glared icily at the ground, looked at me, and nodded almost imperceptibly.

_One._

I tightened my muscles.

_Two_.

I nodded back right before we reached the car.

_Three._

WHAM! I knocked the collar remote out of the guard's hand, diving to pick it up and make a break for it. At the same time, Mifune kneed the guard where it hurts the most (I have to admit, even if it was poorly done, I winced) and used the confusion to swing the woman back against the car with a loud _thump_ that I could almost swear broke her spine. They both slumped as Mifune and I ran...

A bloodcurdling shriek that chilled my bones pierced the air. But that was the thing- I couldn't feel my bones anymore. I fell to the ground, still screaming as the collar shocked me. The remote clattered out of my hand onto the ground- I think my eyes rolled into the back of my head- and I shuddered violently, twitching. Through the dim fogginess, I saw Mifune give a start, and I used the last of my strength to scream at him to go.

I'd forgotten that we had separate collars, neglected the second remote. But Mifune would escape. It was the least I could do.

As I struggled to get up, I saw that something about the place we had almost escaped seemed familiar. Had I been here before? I wasn't able to elaborate on that thought, though, as my strength gave out and I collapsed to the ground.

I managed the smallest smile at Mifune's disappearing back as I drifted into darkness.

* * *

Maka Albarn smiled slightly at the little girl in front of her, wondering exactly what Soul was doing at the moment.

It had been rather easy to convince her parents to let the girl stay. Spirit, who had recently seemed concerned since the meeting with Soul, seemed relieved that Angela didn't seem in any way related to the boy. It was easy going from there, as Maka knew she had her father wrapped around her little finger. Her mother had been a tad harder, but a few delighted laughs from Angela and a brief explanation (she was the younger sister of a friend that was currently out of town), and it was a done deal as well. Maka knew that her parents never bothered much with what she did; she had always been well behaved, and did not attend school merely for the reason that she didn't need schooling. Besides occasional tutoring, Maka had so much free time that it was hard to decide how to fill it up.

"Maka?" Angela looked up from the toys Maka had used as a child, a little delicate frown on her face. Carefully, Maka picked up the girl.

"Yeah?"

"When's Mifune coming back?"

Mifune, as Angela had explained, was her uncle. Her parents had died in an accident, along with his wife. She didn't know much about them, and loved Mifune as much as she would a father, though. ('My big teddy bear', she had put it.)

"I... I don't know." Again, Maka's thoughts drifted to Soul. Angela, who was in fact quite a smart little girl, did not let the sudden emotional climate change escape her attention.

"Hey, hey! Was that guy with Mifune your boyfriend?" She asked. Maka choked on her own spit twice, coughed to clear her throat, and choked again.

"Of...of course not!" Maka silently cursed herself, as the denial had sounded overly exaggerated and flustered.

"Maka has a boyfriend!" Angela sang, hopping out of Maka's arms and dancing around the room.

"Angela!" Maka groaned, running to silence the little girl. The small, tattered book that she always carried around caught her eye, sitting on a table. She thought of Soul once more (as well as the multiple times the book made contact with his head), before brushing aside the thoughts, and gently tackling the girl to the ground.

"How about I read you a story?"

* * *

-

–

_It'd been three weeks._

Life is hell. No, let me rephrase that. Normal life is fantasies of love, living, and happiness. Reality is hell. I hadn't expected the woman to live. I hadn't expected most of what happened to me after my re-capture.

Her name was Lady Arachne.

(And no, it's not her name that's surprising. But it sure sounded stupid.)

I got a room to myself. No windows, but just as lavish as the auction place had been. (It really had seemed familiar somehow...)

As expected, the place was heavily guarded. At least I didn't have a shock collar anymore. That was a surprise, too.

I was fed well. I mean, _really _well. That was weird. I only saw occasional glimpses of other (I flinched at the thought) slaves during my stay. There was one who tended to me personally occasionally; Ox. He seemed like a geek, not very strong, but he was nice and we got along. He didn't ask how I got here; I didn't either.

But even that wasn't the weirdest thing.

I was being trained.

Not some kind of waiter or labor training. No, it was phys ed, fighting, perception, strategies, you name it. And that _still _wasn't the real surprise. I wasn't being trained by one of the beefed up guards or some random master. Hell, even the guard dogs would have seemed normal compared to who was training me.

Arachne herself.

Contrary to her pale, lanky form, she fought gracefully and smoothly. Her speed far exceeded Maka, hell, even Kid. Probably Medusa. One second she was there, the next she wasn't. Boom. The first time she decided to spar, I almost died. It took me five days to recover, and it was fast only because I was fueled on spite and vengeance.

How was I supposed to deny the lessons when I was being offered the chance to grow so quickly? I brightened slightly only at that prospect- if I could beat Kid, then I could finally get down to the real reason I had joined the gang in the first place.

I'd thought the first week had been hard, but as the days progressed, I realized that the woman always stepped it up a notch as I improved, staying ahead of me. The advice and pointers she gave were meaningful, and despite my callings of 'bitch' and 'hag', she continued. I improved. We moved on. It was a vicious cycle, one that I wasn't particularly unhappy about.

It was on the 24th day that something changed.

"Soul, wake up already! Lady Arachne awaits you!" I shot out of the bed at the sound of her name, glanced at the clock, and glared at Ox.

"It's too damn early! Why the hell did you wake me up?" I hissed, glaring at Ox. He was used to my growls now, and didn't flinch or cower as I towered over him (I _had_ to be at least nine inches taller... well, fine, on my tip toes).

"It's as I said. Lady Arachne awaits you."

I got dressed quickly, and followed him into the hallway, up flights of stairs, and finally to a large, grand entrance to what seemed important. Probably her bedroom or something.

"Well, go in," He said, gesturing at the door. I hesitated a moment, and then swung open the door.

I was right.

Arachne sat in a large, leather chair in the corner of the room, which was bright in contrast to the other rooms. The room was decked in onyx and royal red; she had silk comforters and dark, mahogany furniture. Her bed was queen sized- the room emanated a sensual, feminine feel (only she was the exact opposite, so the effect was completely lost).

"Soul," she said. "It has come to my attention that you have reached... a sufficient level. You had progressed well enough over the past few days that I wish to congratulate you."

"That's nice," I drawled out. "If that's it, can I go back to bed?" I eyed her carefully. "Or, actually, could you please set me free?"

There wasn't any tension in the air as I had expected. Arachne only chuckled and nodded. "As you wish."

I froze.

My mouth tried to work, and only opened once or twice, like a fish (dang, if only Black Star were here). "Are you... serious?"

"Yes," She said, bowing her head slightly and making me immediately suspicious. High authority never bows to lower ones.

"What about the money you spent?" I demanded. "Why did you bother? Even though Mif- the other guy escaped, you were never given anything as an apology. You must have spent millions!"

"650 million, if you wish to know the truth of it. Quite a deal for two," Arachne murmured. Her eyes glimmered slightly as she looked up at me once more. "Why do you insist on questioning what you so vied for?"

"Because you're a bitch and there has to be some sort of a drawback," I immediately spoke. Her pale lips pressed together ever so slightly.

"The only thing I wish of you is to use what I have taught you. As far as I have heard, you have a larger purpose than many have supposed. Am I right?"

"Who told you?" I asked warily. Did _everyone_ know about me?

"No matter. Go."

"_Tell me_."

"Unless you wish for me to draw back my offer, leave now."

With a snarl, I turned and stormed out. Ox, who had been waiting outside the thick doors, was obviously confused. I grabbed onto his arm, dragging him with me.

"Soul! What are you _doing?" _He asked, voice high. "Stop that this instant! It hurts!"

I let go, allowing him to rub the sore spot, and turned to him.

"I'm leaving. You're going with me." I could see his eyes widen behind his glasses.

"But-but- the Lady!"

"Has given me permission."

"For me, as well?" He sounded dubious.

"No. Don't care." I started for the main level, listening for his following steps, but they never came. He stood, still and aglow from the flames of the candles that lit the halls. It was a rather old-fashioned home.

"Soul, calm down," Ox chastised, stepping back a little. "You're letting your anger start to control you. Think about what you're doing!"

"You don't want to leave?" I was genuinely surprised.

"I... I can't," He said awkwardly, looking to the side. I frowned.

"Sure you could. I can. I don't see why you can't."  
There was thick silence in the hall in which we stood. I allowed myself to calm down, and saw a little reason in his voice- he was right. I _was_ pretty sore about the whole slave situation. But that didn't change a thing; I was still leaving with him. I opened my mouth at the same time he did.

"I think-"

"You see-"

We stopped, paused. I met his level gaze with my own.

"You see," He said softly. "I have a reason for staying. I would love to leave this hell, but... I can't."

"You have nothing to be afraid of!" I cried, exasperated. I was willing to bet I could even take out a guard or two, if they were surprised. But he didn't need to know that.

"That's not it, Soul." He looked up, and his glasses slipped down his nose a little. For the first time, I saw his eyes the way the were- clear, honest, sure. He had no qualms with himself. I paused enough to let him continue. "There's someone here..."

"This person is enough to make you stay?" I was confused. Friendship over freedom? I was never given the first choice, and the second seemed logical, anyhow.

"She is." He straightened his back. "Her name is Kim. I can't just leave her here. Do you understand?"

"I can't take the two of you out," I cautioned. "It's your head." There was no way I could cover all of our backs.

"That's fine. I..." He blushed. "I love her."

Love.

Deja vu hit me, strong and clear. Emotions never to be felt, unnecessary ties... I couldn't afford friendship; I would lose it completely under love.

Somehow, Maka made her way into my mind.

"All right," I turned away. "If you say so..."

"Thanks." He sighed as I left. I almost turned around. I almost lost my temper, almost knocked him out and dragged him away with me.

"That's real cool of you, Soul."

I didn't cry.

* * *

Maka finished the last page of the book, which they had read in sections, and smiled down at little Angela, who smiled back lazily and drifted off into a nap. The second her eyes closed, however, Maka allowed her face drift down into a frown.

_Soul_.

It'd been _how_ many days now? She'd lost count. Where was he? Her mind spun with worry.

"I'm sure he's okay," She said to herself, but she couldn't be sure. A pigtail drooped slightly- she tied it back into place.

"NO!"

Maka gave a sudden jump, and then realized that the shout had been her fathers. Not entirely willing, she untangled herself from Angela's sleeping form, leaving her on the couch, and made her way to the main entryway, where she saw her father slamming the door shut.

"What's going on?" She glared. "Why did you do that? The door isn't unbreakable."

"There's this man with long hair that insists he needs to see you," Spirit sounded disgusted. "he knocked out all the guards! He's dangerous. There's no way you know him-"

Maka shoved her way past her father and opened the door.

"Oh, Mifune," She breathed out. Wounds covered his arms- he was dirty and had bags under his eyes, yet still stood tall.

"Mifune?" Angela's groggy voice rang through the large room. "Mifune!" The girl launched herself into the man's arms, nuzzling him affectionately. Mifune took a moment to say hello before turning to glance at Spirit, and then Maka.

"Soul's in trouble."

* * *

I was stopped the second I left the premises.

"Sorry I'm late, Soul."

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the late release. Internet was down for a while, and I couldn't post anything.

Thanks to:

1wingedangelX

RinSohma

Mizora

ToraHimeSama

DearlyBeloved-13

Cuna99

Superanimelover1234

waterblossemangel3

**You guys are awesome**. =)

To those of you that read but don't review... _Seriously, just type up a quick comment- it takes, what, fifteen seconds?_

Expect something unexpected next chapter~


	7. Chapter 7

I hate it when some things just slip your mind. My time with Arachne had been spent in blood, sweat, and hard work, and I had completely forgotten all about the serpent-like woman standing before me.

"I'm sorry I'm late," Medusa smiled a cobra smile. "I got tied up in some things. Gotta make a living, you know." Her tone was light, teasing. She sounded happy- it made me even more aware than ever. "Have you come to a decision, Soul?"

"I forgot." The words were out of my mouth before I could think about it. I looked at her reaction- she didn't seem to care much. Huh. Was it me or was I taller than her now? I felt stronger, faster; I briefly wondered whether I would be able to take her on or not.

"Make up your mind right now, then."

"What if I don't want to?"

"Elaborate."

"What if I don't want to go with you?"  
She took a step, blurred into a motion I could not have possibly seen a month ago, but was completely aware of now. I side stepped, only as much as necessary to avoid her hit. I barely moved three inches. I saw her amber eyes narrow like a snake intent on her prey; amber flecks glowed furiously.

When she started, it was like a dance.

She moved fluidly, I noted. Not quite as nimble as Arachne, but with the speed and strike of a cobra. Whenever I saw her muscles tighten or fist or foot twitch, I moved only as needed to avoid it. A fist swerved at me- I ducked- and another finally met its mark on my gut.

"Not bad," She murmured, stepping back. I stumbled up, panting. Neither of us had broken a sweat. Neither of us intended to. "You could still use some work, though."

The words reminded me of what Arachne had said. I growled faintly at Medusa.

"At the state I'm currently in, you would be on par with me. But if I were to utilize _it..._" She smiled venomously.

"Shut up," I snarled. "You don't know exactly how dangerous doing that is!"

"Of course I do. I'm an assassin. I kill; it's my job."

"Monster," I hissed, stepping forward. "You would _want_ that?"  
"Why wouldn't I? The power that comes with the correct use of the-"

My fist was on her face before she could finish her sentence.

"Screw you," I spat, walking away. "I'm different from you."

"He's gotten stronger."

I froze.

"I saw him not too long ago. He's improved. Noah is pleased with his rate." She didn't sound relieved that I stopped, not at all. Medusa's voice was fluid, languid. She had control and she knew it; even more, she had anticipated it. "Even if you can advance in your stupid little gang, you will never be able to match him in the state you're in."

It was enough to make me pause, back still facing her.

"I can... I can do what I need to without your help." I turned to see her, but she was already gone. I blinked.

The sound of an engine roaring towards me in the near distance finally registered to my shaken state. I swung to see it.

It was Death Scythe and Mifune.  
The sleek red car stopped only two feet away from me- I didn't even flinch.

"Soul!" The familiar voice reached my ears, spreading relief through my body. Maka had made it out safely, after all. Relief was quickly replaced with anger.

"Why are you here?" I growled. "This place is dangerous!"

Maka ran up to me, pigtails swinging, with a pout on her face. Angela followed suit- I couldn't help but grin, just a little. They looked like sisters.

"You didn't expect me to just forget about you, did you?"

"Actually, yeah."

"What happened, Soul?" Mifune walked up besides Maka, Death Scythe following. "You..." He glanced at Death Scythe, and back at me. "...ah. Are you all right?" His eyes searched mine. _We'll talk later._

"I'm fine." _No problem_.

"Now that we've confirmed that he's safe," Death Scythe said gruffly. "I'll have to ask you a few questions on the way back." His eyes said something different; _I've still got my eye on you._

_Whatever, old man._

* * *

Nothing serious happened in the car. Death Scythe (no _way_ I was calling him Spirit) asked me about what had happened and why I was where I was. I lied through my teeth on every single question, and neither Mifune nor Maka bat an eye. Even little Angela, who (I have to admit) grew on me quickly, acted as if she had forgotten about everything (or maybe she really had).

We pulled up to their house, and stepped inside. Death Scythe, Mifune, and Angela all excused themselves to eat.

That left me and Maka alone.

The said girl dragged me to a large library and sat down on a chair. Then she eyed me, willing me to sit down.

I did. She grinned.

"What happened after I left?"

"Nothing much," I said nonchalantly. "Mifune managed to get away, but I didn't. I only managed to escape now." It was the truth, just filtered. A lot.

"You never tell me anything!" Maka whined, green eyes stubborn yet curious. "Is it so hard to believe that I'm just worried about you?"  
"Yes."

Several books collided with my head. (Having Maka in a library is like having a caffeinated soldier surrounded by nuclear weapons.) "OW!"  
"You deserved it," She said, crossing her arms, another book in her hands. I did the smart thing.

"Yes, I did. Whatever you-ow!" I glared at her. "Why'd you throw that at me?"

Suddenly, I noticed the tears that threatened to come out, glinting at the edge of her eyes. I stared dumbly.

"I was _worried_," she whispered throatily, rage clear in her voice. I stared, not sure what to do or how to react. "Why did you pull that kind of act, just disappearing?"

"It's... it's not like I had a choice," I said awkwardly. "I'm just glad you got away safely."

"NO!" She stood up suddenly, voice rising threateningly. "We were... were supposed to escape together. Aren't we friends, Soul? Why do you insist on _protecting_ me? We're supposed to be _equals_!" Maka was almost shouting now. It was hard for me to look at her in the eye.

"Yeah," I finally said. It wasn't like I could deny it. "We are friends."

It was true; I _couldn't_ keep denying it. Maka was like a part of me, whether I wanted it or not. I knew it had been stupid to even talk to her from the moment we met, but it was like... like I'd been drawn to her anyway. Maka was my friend. Black Star was my friend. Kid was my friend. I'd run away to avoid attachment and had done so anyway. There was no backing out now. But I had to salvage something- I couldn't let them get hurt because of me.

"Then why?" Maka was whispering again. "Don't treat me like a worthless... little girl."

"I'm not." I looked straight at her. "I'm doing this because I fucking care, and whether you like it or not, I'm going to risk my life for you until the day I die."

Something told me that somehow, that promise went deeper than I thought it did. Maka was a strong person, but she seemed to hate it when people close to her got hurt.

Like I did. Only I could still do something about it.

"That's why you shouldn't get involved with me," I was struggling not to shout or whisper; my emotions were so conflicted my voice could go either way. "You know the surface of my life, but the roots go way deeper. I'm not going to get you killed because of me. I'm not... _I'm not going to let you get hurt because I was too weak_." The air was thick was tension- it was hard to breathe. I didn't dare look at her eyes.

And then Maka did the strangest thing.

She giggled.

"What the hell?" I exploded. I couldn't help it- it was almost like... confessing and being laughed at. Maka leaned on the table, face flushed with tears at the edged of her eyes. Yet, the sound of her laughter... actually eased the tension. She let out one last, amused sigh.

"S-sorry." She smiled sheepishly. "I got... carried away. I thought you... considered me weak." Maka blushed a little here, and it made me smirk.

"You? Weak? _No._"

She threw a book at me half-heartedly, on the verge of laughter once again, and I had no choice but to laugh with her, unable to comprehend her mood swings and the warmth shooting through me-

...Happiness.

In the middle of one of her chuckles, I doubled over in pain, clutching my head.

"Soul?" I heard Maka's worried voice dimly, through the memories rushing into my head.

_Sun so bright it hurt my eyes. A colorful garden. Laughter. _

_Blood. Screams. Scarlet burning on my hands, drying under the heat._

_White hair, red eyes, staring back at me. Smiling through jagged teeth._

"Ah," I moaned, falling to my knees. Maka was there, holding me up.

"What the hell just happened?" She demanded, feeling my forehead, checking my pulse. I almost laughed- had she really been worried about being the weak one? My mood diminished almost instantly. I couldn't afford to get close to her! Stupid, stupid...

......no. No more.

I refused to just sit back and let her die… very dimly, the thought of Ox sprang to mind. It was like being spat in the face- I was reminded once more of how I was too chicken, too weak to bring both him and his friend out of that hell, how they were forced to stay there and serve that _witch._ If it had been Maka and not that girl (Kim, was it?), what would I have done?

The answer was clear in my mind.

So, when Death Scythe, Mifune, and Angela walked in and saw Maka and me kneeling on the ground, I looked directly at her eyes with my own pleading ones.

"Nothing. I'm perfectly fine." _Trust me this time. _

Trust me, even if I didn't deserve it.

I would never, _never _let this girl die. Because she was something different, something that (for reasons unknown) actually _meant _something to me, and even if I died kicking and screaming and tortured, I would make sure that she never would. I would fight against myself for her.

Maka looked at me.

"Okay." _Just this once._

* * *

I left just ten minutes later, headed straight for the hideout of the Shinigami. My chest felt light and airy, like a huge weight had been lifted off of me. Whether it was because of my new resolve or because of the fact that I was both taller and stronger, it was an amazing high.

I was going to challenge Kid again.

The chances of me winning were slim (especially if you count the last... thirteen attempts. Oh, fine... twenty. Shut up!). But I was going to try anyway. My recent encounter with Medusa had left me edgy, even after Maka. I wasn't charismatic, smart, or handsome (well, maybe a little). I had been born to fight, and that's exactly what I wanted to do right now.

I felt ready.

So when I arrived at the place, I was astonished to see that it had been burned to cinders.

* * *

Medusa slipped into her realm slowly, fading and melting with the shadows. Her recent job had left her drained, showing especially after the encounter with the boy, but she would recover. She had to.

Her brow furrowed as she considered her next step. Chrona still had to yet to perfect the newest attempt, and she had no idea on Noah's current status. That left her priority.

The Book of Eibon.

It was a race for a book, which, as an assassin, she highly detested because it was best taken through coveting rather than murder, which she thoroughly enjoyed. On the other hand, she would keep all prowess in mind. She'd hadn't a clue who had it at the moment- her resources had lacked a little in that area, but no matter.

She still needed to figure out the key to decode it.

"Oh, Eibon," Medusa murmured. "Your love of books almost matches my niece's."

* * *

"What the hell happened here?" The place was badly charred. All and any furniture was brutally ripped to pieces; the walls were torn.  
"Where have you been?" I jumped slightly at the sound, and turned to face Kazu (who, I wasn't happy to admit, was still a good few inches taller).

"None of your business. But this is. What happened?"  
"We were attacked by some other group," He growled. "Coulda used your help, too."

"But how did they find out where we were?" The place was well hidden. Of all the places we'd moved to, we'd stayed here the longest.

"Some say a traitor," Kazu said meaningfully. "Got anything to say?"

"Yeah," I glared back. "I need to see Kid."

"He's gone, doing important business."

"Show me to the new place." I didn't bother asking- questions never worked with Kazu.

"How do I know you're not the traitor?" He asked, like I was too stupid to figure out what he had implied earlier.

"Are you _fucking _me?" I exploded. "I've been here for at least twice as long as you have, and you're accusing me?"

"Who's the one who was gone for an entire month?" Kazu retorted. "Don't get cocky, kid."

"Don't get suspicious just because a kid who could kick your ass any day has 'business', too," I scowled. "It's not like I have no life, unlike you."

He glowered at me. "You wanna try me?"

"Bring it on, asshole."

"STOP IT THIS INSTANT!"

We both froze, for two reasons.

One, the voice was one we both knew well.

Second, it was when that person was having a 'hissy fit' of sorts. Oh, crud.

"Kid," I muttered, lowering my voice and pulling back from Kazu. "How's it going?"

"Back already?" Kazu asked, averting his eyes.

As I (partially) suspected, Kid was practically in tears at the state of our surroundings. He fixed things as he went along towards us, forcing himself away from things that would take too long; in short, he was pretty much sobbing.

"Do not..." His voice trembled. "I repeat, _do not_ test me!! If you so much as make this place move one place more, ONE INCH MORE! I WILL KILL YOU!"

Kazu and I stood still, shutting up. We didn't doubt it. Liz and Patty sauntered in, the former looking around in disgust. Patty just ran around giggling.

"Why are you guys all here?" I asked tersely, after Kid had finished doing his make-do adjustments. He sniffed once.

"We're staying here. Only the main room was destroyed, and Father doesn't want to spend money on a new place."

"Kid, let me take the test again." I cut straight to the chase.

"Give me... one more hour," His eyes were pleading as he glanced frantically around the place. But of course, I knew Kid better, and I wanted an even fight- no weapons, nothing. Just our bare fists.

Carefully, very deliberately, I knocked over a can. Liquid spilled over the floor.

"OH MY GOD!!"

Yup, a fair fight.

Or not.

Kid blasted me straight out the entrance (not the wall, obviously. Would _Kid_ do that?) and onto the ground. I stood up just in time to receive several blows, pummeling me like a speed boxer. I swerved drunkenly and managed to dodge three hits, throwing him off guard for a split second. I used the momentum of my fall to rebound off the ground and push off, delivering a square kick to his torso. When he staggered back, I could see slight shock flash on his face

It was the first time I'd managed a real blow on him.

Drunk on the high of victory (of a sorts, anyway. Imagine this; getting into a fight with the top-dog bully of the school and actually _winning_. Well, kinda- I was more of a bully than poor OCD Kid), I rushed forward at him with speed that I didn't know I had, and delivered a harsh blow to his jaw, sending him back even further. But just like any experienced fighter, Kid recovered quickly and blurred into high speed motion, moving in an odd, twisted stance. I'd seen it before; he used it in serious fights. I couldn't help but feel a little triumphant that I had improved so much in a month.

Which, of course, like all things, didn't last long. I couldn't react fast enough when he blurred back into view, and received a kick that _should_ have broken my neck but didn't. As an award, I got a mouthful of gravel.

Just as I was getting back up, Kid did the strangest thing.

He looked down at his watch, _snapped out of his OCD state_, and _left_.

Which left me standing there, surprised, confused, and _what the freakin' hell?!_ Kazu laughed mercilessly, obviously extremely amused at the turn of events.

"You just got your ass kicked, kid," he smirked, sauntering up to me. I tried to smack him good across the face, failed, and let out a growl (actually, honestly, it was something akin to a girl's squeal of frustration, but you don't need to know that).

"_Not_ cool."

Why the hell had he bailed on me? The idea that he had something better to do than spar with me left me admittedly sore, and I didn't like it one bit.

I left Kazu, fuming and debating what I should do.

a) Beat up Kazu, thus venting out all my frustration and getting him out of the way (because I could totally take him. Maybe)

b) Find Kid (even though the chances of that were extremely slim. Who knew the whereabouts of the guy, anyway? Shinigami sure as hell wouldn't tell me)

c) Find Maka. I knew where she was, but I wasn't... exactly... sure.

d) I didn't have one.

So with a sigh (and a rather scathing look from Kazu for ignoring him), I left to find Maka, no idea of the danger I would soon be placing myself in.

No, wait. Not me. Her.

* * *

Maka opened the door exactly seventeen seconds after I rang the doorbell (or, if you prefer, 79 seconds after I sauntered past the still-unconscious guards, grinning like a fool). Emotions flitted across her face in just a fraction of that time.

Surprise- _why is he back so soon?_

Happiness- I don't know. Probably of ways to torture me more?

Anger- _why is Soul covered in bruises?_

"MAKA CHOP!"

Shit. I shoulda seen that one coming. I managed a small groan and didn't even bother saying anything as I collapsed.

"Did you get into a fight?" She exploded, like it was something unexpected. But of course it was.

"Well, what do you..." I trailed off as I looked up, seeing Spirit glaring menacingly at me from behind the ever oblivious Maka. "...say we talk somewhere else?"

"I can take you up to my room." She whirled around to her father, who had uttered a loud "_WHAT?", _and grinned rebelliously as she dragged me (rather mercilessly) up the stairs.

* * *

"Noah, my lord."

Footsteps echoed through empty halls, steadily approaching a large, leather chair, where a man of a rather intimidating build sat, eyes appraising. The approaching figure bent down, kneeling, and even the most idiotic of people would be able to see the clear worship in that person's eyes.

"I hope you're not trying to wipe my floors with those expensive rags, Gopher," the man addressed as Noah spoke dryly, with a lilting tone.

"Of course not," Gopher murmured, kneeling down even further, if that was possible. "I am most honored to have had even a fraction of your attention spared on me."

"I'm sure. Get up. Is there something you need?"

Gopher stood, immediately erect and turned the slightest bit. Light glinted in his eyes, and for a moment, Noah saw a completely sadistic madman that amused. "The intruder approaches. He disarmed the alarms."

"Whose fault is it for letting him get this far?" Noah asked wryly.

"M-mine… my lord…"

Noah stood, hand raised as if about to deliver a blow…

Suddenly, a flash, a grunt, a clash of steel. Noah took a calm, calculated step back. Gopher was gone. A knife clattered to the ground. As if by an illusion, Gopher appeared once more, a good nine yards away, in the hall with another man struggling with him. The stout man took only a quick second to recover from a glancing blow, raised a hand with a gun…

BAM!

The bullet lodged in the plastered wall behind Gopher, merely a centimeter's miss. His clothes swayed- it was as if he hadn't moved at all, yet all observing knew that if he hadn't evaded the shot, he would have been dead.

The two gave each other a long, calculating sort of look. Death loomed in the back of both of their eyes.

"Enough. Gopher, stand down. I believe I recognize this man…" Noah walked towards them, leather shoes merely tapping against marble. "Mosquito?"

"Glad to see that I'm known around here."

"Noah, my lord," Gopher gasped out, frustrated. "I could have taken him! Do not bother yourself with this kind of petty disturbance."

"I said _enough_, Gopher. Don't be thick- this guy is much, _much_ stronger than you can imagine." Gopher shrank back, stung- Noah turned to Mosquito. "What do you want?"

"My Lady," Mosquito said with an elegant gesture, "believes that she has a lead on the book. She suggests that we start to formulate a plan."

"Is that it?" Noah looked at the short, round man disdainfully. "_That's_ what you interrupted my lunch for?"

"Not good enough?" Mosquito looked up from under the brim of his hat- the look in his beady eyes was impossible to fathom.

"I've been getting leads on the book for quite a while," Noah snorted. "I doubt that what she has to offer is something I don't already know."

"Then you know how to decode it?"

Silence… except for the sniffles of poor, dejected Gopher.

"Fine. When?"

* * *

Maka, I decided, was insane. I thought back to how upset she was earlier today- it seemed like eons ago. Now she grinned childishly at me, and I couldn't help but smirk in return.

Then that all disappeared along with a book to my face. The very same one that had sent me to the brink of death every time it appeared…

…okay, maybe that was a _little_ dramatic. Just a little.

"What happened?"

"Nothing." I scratched my ear, looked away, did everything but look at her in the eye. "Just a little scuffle. I'm in a gang, Maka, wudduya expect? I don't live in a mansion like you do."

"That's not what I mean and you know it," She snapped. "Is it so wrong for me to want to know what happened to you?"

"Lay off it, tiny-tits- _ow!_" I was cut off once again by the book. "Jeez…"

"I AM NOT!!"

"Are too."

"Am not!"  
"Too."

"Not!"  
"Too."

"UGH!" She looked away fro me, grumbling with her arms crossed and hip cocked to the side… the very picture of naiveté. I was beginning to doubt that encounter weeks ago, where she had fought like hell. Silence saturated the room, which I spent with an amused smirk at her until she finally simmered down and looked at me.

"I was just worried."

"I know." And I did. How could I doubt it? Her peculiar emerald (emerald doesn't even begin to describe its depth) eyes held nothing but concern. "But you don't need to. I can handle myself better than you can."

Maka twitched. "Is that a challenge?"

"Not really."

As the sunlight that came in through the window began to dim, I allowed my sore body to relax against her bed as she sat next to me, relaying random accounts of things that I probably wouldn't even remember the next day. I laughed as she described her father, made snide comments every so often (because spending time with her made me feel like I was losing the last shred of whatever pride I had left), but she didn't push. Maka, I decided once more, was definitely insane… but she was so different from the average, stereotypical girl that you might expect, I was totally, completely at ease.

Suddenly, we were interrupted by eight consecutive knocks on her door. She froze mid-sentence, and jumped up, shoving me into the closet.

"What the-?"

"Shh," Maka hushed, looking a little jumpy as she slid the door shut. "Please, just stay here, and be quiet."

I didn't know what the hell was going on, but since she had shut her mouth when I had asked her to earlier today, I did the same for her now. I struggled to listen what was going on through the thick, wooden door. A male's voice (something in my gut lurched at that), and her own anxious tones. _What the fuck was going on?_

Footsteps approached the closet door. I cursed in my head for allowing myself to be stuck in such an awkward position (in a _girl's_ closet, no less) when suddenly, the door slid open.

I flinched, and then looked up…

… My mouth dropped down. I stared in shock. I couldn't even bring myself to voice the profanities multiplying rapidly in my head, because staring back down at me with almost equal surprise in his eyes was-

"Well," Maka cleared her throat awkwardly. "Soul… I'd like you to meet my fiancé." The boy in front of me shook his head stoically, hardening his tone. "No, no, not at all. The pleasure is mine," replied Death the Kid.

* * *

A/N: At least it's not _that_ much of a cliffhanger this time… If that wasn't unexpected, then I don't know that is. Actually, I think a _lot_ of things in this chapter were unexpected, if you looked hard enough… If not, go back!

Hugs and many thanks to:

animephoenix2468

theraggles

poolday

ToraHimeSama

Anime-is-mi-life

SingerToPotatos

DearlyBeloved-13

1wingedangelX

Sanzo4ever

SilverStella

Cuna999

Kozarr

RinSohma

karasu~pyon

Another thing before you exit/_**REVIEW~**_ (lol)/shake-your-head-in-disgust-at-the-author; things are going to start clearing up from this point on, meaning, _get ready, because the pace is going to start speeding up_.

Kthxbai.


	8. Chapter 8

I sat there for a moment, dumbfounded, and then finally found my voice. "Nice to meet you, too." I whispered throatily. _Not cool. _I stood up, and we both awkwardly shook hands. I noted that he had cleaned up pretty impressively from our earlier brawl; he was, as usual, flawless, without even a wrinkle in his clothes.

In the back of my head, I also noted that I should have guessed it would be him from the eight knocks, but that thought was blown away by the invisible wind and carelessly shattered. I ignored it.

"Um…" Maka bit down on her lip. I glared at her irritably, prickling as I felt Kid do the same.

"What were you doing in Maka's closet?" Kid asked, voice calm and emotionless. I still felt the temperature plummet, though. I glanced down at the mess that was scattered over her closet floor.

"I was helping her look for a book, is all. Don't worry, man," I could look at him in the eye now. "I'm not out to steal your girl."

Part of me wondered if that was a lie.

"Besides, who would want tiny tits here?" _Well, at least _that_ part wasn't a lie._

"MAKA-"

"I would," Kid said, cutting off Maka's inevitable chop and hugging her close to his own body, burying his face in her neck. I think I choked on my own spit. "She's dear to me."

"D-Death," Maka stammered, face beginning to glow red. "Don't do that! It's embarrassing…" Something pierced my chest again, but I ignored it.

"Death, huh?" I asked tonelessly, looking at him with the Death God glare. He didn't flinch- his gaze didn't waver as he met my own. "That's quite the sadistic name."

"No more than yours… Soul, was it?" He smiled, but there was no humor in his eyes as his grip on Maka loosened. She wriggled away half heartedly- my own heart seemed to drop into a bottomless chasm. "I appreciate the… chivalry. Maka here is quite precious, you see. Very, very important." As he stared at me, something glinted in his amber eyes- I could have sworn he was trying to tell me something, something I needed to know…

"Yeah, sure, sure," I choked out, approaching the window, opening it. "Hey, look… I've gotta go do something, Maka. Important business, y'know?" I smirked as my chest throbbed once more. Casually as I could, I slung a leg over the edge, prepared to jump.

"Uh… sure," Maka said uncertainly.

I think she said something else, but I couldn't make it out, because I had already plummeted down fifty feet towards the ground.

* * *

The sun had begun to fall, spreading warm hues of color over the sky. Somewhere in the high end of town, in an admittedly expensive restaurant, a man and a woman dressed in lavish clothes observed it with a sort of amusement. Their gaze was one of those who had enough power to control the very scene they watched- and knew it.

Of course, that may have been a tad dramatic, but it suited the two quite nicely.

"Lady Arachne," Noah spoke casually, tilting his glass of wine before taking a sip. "I appreciate you taking the time to come and speak with me."

"My pleasure," The woman responded smoothly. "The only thing I regret is that my dear sister couldn't make it."

"Oh, Medusa?" Noah chuckled quietly. "A handful, that one is. Not quite as much as my right-hand man, though."

"You don't mean Gopher, do you?"

They exchanged smiles. Hers, knowing- his more so.

"Anyways… Oh yeah, your sister," Noah sighed, leaning back. A waiter came by and filled their wine glasses before departing. "She seems to think that all those operations of hers are a secret. The poor thing."

"I must say, she's been doing quite well since her encounter with our brother," Arachne remarked. A polite silence lapped as they finished the last of their meal. Finally, Noah set down his napkin, and Arachne followed.

"So, the Book."

"I had almost forgotten." There were dry, humorless smiles on both of their faces. "You remember my niece, do you not?"

"Sure. Your brother's brat."

"I have been… informed that she somehow holds the key."

This time, the silence that followed was neither polite nor strained, because there was suddenly a loud _**Bang!**_ and the crystal chandelier on the ceiling of the restaurant shattered into millions of pieces.

* * *

It's kinda embarrassing to say, but I did what I'd been doing all my life- I ran. I allowed my feet to carry myself away from that place until I couldn't see it anymore, and even then, beyond there, until the buildings began to give way into nothingness.

"Yo."

I gave a start at the voice, felt the presence of a shadow coming down on me, and barely darted out of the way in time. My mind was so numb I could barely move.

"Oh. It's just you."

"What do you mean, _just you_?" Black Star hissed. "I am the one that will surpass GOD!" He posed triumphantly before remembering he had already beaten Death the Kid (the reminder of him made me grimace), paused a moment, and then re-phrased what he said. "I AM THE ONE THAT HAS SURPASSED A GOD!" That was followed by a maniacal laughter until I quietly reminded him that there was still Shinigami left.

"Oh, fudge," He hissed at me. I almost laughed at that- here we were, two delinquents with no parental figure looming over us and he wouldn't cuss for some reason. How unlike Black Star. But all I managed was a weak smirk. He stared at me intently for a minute or two.

"What?" I groaned.

"Why aren't you praising me? Or basking in my golden light?" He demanded. I offered a small smile at that- it was sort of like his way of asking what was wrong.

"Because," I said quietly, looking up. "The skies are grey. There's no light anywhere." And it was true- Death City had darkened considerably- it looked as if it were about to rain. Considering the current circumstances, I could have gotten soaked through to the bone and wouldn't have cared.

"Dude," Black Star said in a sort of subdued/awed way. "That's so…"

I stared at him expectantly.

"…_emo!_ You need to get _laid._" He grinned obnoxiously, and I returned it half-heartedly. It was kinda nice to know that, despite the fact that my world had just flipped upside-down, some things hadn't changed. Namely Black Star's ego.

"Shut up," I snorted. "Anyway, I doubt that you're not a virgin."

"So what?" He answered carelessly. "At least I never have girl troubles."

I took a moment to stare at him like a gaping fish as he continued to rant about how sexy he was (_that's_ a laugh). I personally wouldn't qualify my situation with Maka as _girl trouble _but that piece of insight was astonishing for someone like Black Star. He paused for a moment to grin at me, and for a second I caught sight of a totally different person. …Then he set fire and exploded that near-invisible persona by saying how the ladies would always love him because he was practically God and could drink more than any of them. (Just for the record, Black Star is pathetically weak when it comes to alcohol. Besides, we're both under-aged, anyway.)

I still didn't feel like laughing, but chuckled for the sake of my well being because God knows (and by that I mean that dude that hangs in the clouds, not Black Star) that the boy before me would kick my ass if I didn't at least pretend to be humored by his 'awesomeness'.

"Tell me what happened. This God is curious." Black Star grinned, and there was only pure honesty (and idiocy) in his grin.

"Well," I began carefully. "There's this… girl (Black Star immediately started cackling. I ignored him). She… Well, she's engaged to someone I know. A friend."

"Ohh." Black Star nodded knowingly. "You mean that blonde chick Kid's engaged to, right?"

…

…

…

The system has just crashed.

Rebooting… rebooting…

"WHAT THE FUCK?" I exploded, jumping up. Black Star just smiled innocently. "You knew all this time and you didn't tell me!" I cried, accusing. "What the… Damn it, is _everyone_ keeping secrets from me?" I threw my arms up, frustrated. Black Star's eyes took on an un-ordinary look, serious and… _did I catch a glint of… strain? What?_

"Soul," he said solemnly. "There are a lot of things you shouldn't know."

Black Star's moment of seriousness lasted about a split second, before he sauntered away with a cocky grin.

I was left sitting there, wondering exactly what he had meant by that. I didn't see his grin drop down into a frown, and I didn't hear him whisper silently to himself,

"Sorry, Soul. If the big guy hasn't told you yet, then you're not supposed to know."

* * *

"Faster, Chrona." Medusa's voice was stoic, calm, a stark contrast compared to Chrona's wheezing. "Hurry up and finish the job."

"I-I…" Another jagged pant. "Alright…"

"Don't be such a wimp, Chhrrronnna!" Ragnarok drawled out in his strange soprano. "Do it right already!"

"I-I-I'm t-trying!" Chrona cried out, tears forming. "Please, stop…" The two, curved scimitars Chrona held wavered over their victim, hesitant and unsure. The victim, a man no older than his mid-twenties, gratefully began crawling away, uttering gasps of effort. His body was covered in bruises and blood- his clothes were torn. Mercilessly, Medusa stepped forward and finished the job with a sickening _crack._

When she turned, eyes slanted threateningly, Chrona shuddered.

"What are you _thinking_, Chrona?" Medusa raised something in her hand up- the light glinted off from it- and poised as if to strike.

"No," Chrona gasped out, shaking. "Of c-course not, mother…"

All throughout Death City's dark alleyways, a raw, bloodcurdling shriek was heard.

* * *

Under normal circumstances, Noah supposed, he'd just walk away and ignore this kind of thing. But such a flashy entrance intrigued him. Judging from the amused face of Arachne, he guessed she felt the same. All around them, people screamed, running out, while the manager and a few remaining employees tried to calm everyone down.

"Come on out, little girl," he drawled. "Don't worry. I won't bite."

There were three, quick gunshots fired towards Noah, who didn't flinch or blink an eye. They landed, embedded into the wall behind him, missing just by millimeters. The third one was shot right over the poor, balding head of the manager who just happened to be in the way, and he ran out screaming.

The restaurant was now empty. From the grand staircase that was spread over the center of the room came the clacking sounds of heeled shoes. Slowly, Medusa descended, long legs barely covered by a slinky black dress.

"Why, hello little sister. What a pleasant surprise." Arachne's voice was overly innocent- next to her, Noah snorted.

"The same to you," Medusa replied tonelessly.

It all happened so quickly then, that any mere person would be caught in the crossfire.

Medusa tilted up her gun- Arachne blurred into motion, knocking the gun out of her hand right as Medusa pulled the trigger. As the gun clattered to the floor, a shot fired out, shattering yet another light. They turned almost invisible with speed, the distinct sound of _thuds_ as blows were exchanged.

"Enough," Noah snorted, already bored. "We have company."

_As if this day weren't stupid enough…_

"Oh, _Death Scythe_," Medusa smirked. "What a _pleasant surprise_." Under Arachne's eye, a miniscule muscle contracted- the regular person's equivalent of a hissy fit, perhaps.

"I wouldn't exactly call it pleasant."

"A family reunion, eh?" Noah smiled mirthlessly. "I feel left out."

"Cut the crap!" Spirit Albarn walked from the back, where he had been standing, to face the two sisters. "What did you do with the book?"

"Ah," Medusa smiled eagerly. "I was hoping we could proceed to a… exchange, of sorts."

* * *

So… Death the Kid runs out on me, in the middle of a fight that he _knew_ meant a lot to me. _Fucking important_ and he glances at his watch and leaves!

Death the Kid is engaged to the one person I thought I could relate to! Well, **fuck. **

Death the Kid, someone I could have considered my _best friend_, the poor, OCD genius who not only had serious issues but was _also_ someone I thought I knew, someone I trusted, and he'd been _hiding _this from me?!

A flash came to me, in the back of my mind- barely conscious in the hospital, with Death looming over me (if you'll pardon the damned pun) and the question; _'I was told there was a girl there…'_

_Fuck_. What if he'd known that she was there the entire time, and _that_ was why Liz, Patti, and I were sent there? For god's sake, we were _gangsters_, not some god-fucking spies!

But the part that hurt the most was that I was too stupid, too oblivious too wonder if there _was_ a connection, if there really _was_ something there, a reason why Kid… Death had asked in the first place.

I'd learn nothing.

Ever since I'd run away, since I escaped that place, I'd thought I'd done a pretty damned good job of surviving, of living. I thought I could separate myself from the reasons and bring down… _him_. He had known all along… Why would no one tell me anything?

I stumbled back to the hideout, which, charred and burnt as it was, was empty. Even Kazu wasn't there, with his taunting smirk and blows. I was thankful for that- my head was beginning to swim dangerously.

I plopped down on the small mattress I had called my own, grabbed everything I saw, and pelted it, hard as I could against the wall.

_Kid._

A pillow, cheap as it was, did nothing to soothe my anger.

_Maka_.

I ripped the blanket to shreds.

_Me._

Bewildered, and pissed, I slammed my fist into the wall- a hole burst through. I punched, again and again until my knuckles were bloody and bruised.

_And worst of all…_

The remainders of the window that Medusa had broken through when sending me that knife with the note; I jerked it up and slammed it against the wall.

_Worst of all_…

The glass shattered into a million pieces, and immediately, I was sent into the abyss of my memories, and I was-

_-small and alone, shuddering, terrified._

_They all stared at me, shocked, horrified; I was a monster. Velvet crimson dripped from my hands. I frantically tried to wipe it away, but to no avail… the stains where there. I ran up the stairs- no one tried to stop me, lest they too share the same fate as the bloodied body lying below._

_No one, that is, except for a pounding set of stamps that followed me, a sound I knew well._

_The horror pulsed through me- my heart thudded violently against my chest. I ran through a door, slammed it shut; the owner of the sounds threw it open._

_I huddled in the corner, cold and alone. Scared. _

"_**You god-fucking, good for nothing brat**__!" He slapped me- my head rung. His large hands picked up vases, picture frames, books, anything he could get a hold of, and threw them at me. I cried out- blood trickled down my head, but I didn't look up. _

"_**You **__killed__** her, do you understand?!" **__He was anger. He was fury. He was Death, and I knew my time was nearing its end. __**"Your own fucking sister, you-**__"_

_Laughter bubbled through my lips. Wondrous, I looked up, wondering what had happened. Tears streamed down my cheeks._

My Father stared back at me.

"_**Your blood…"**_

_What was going on?_

_And suddenly, I was throwing my head up, laughing, screaming, and crying all at once, and he was backing away in terror, and I had a knife in my hand (where had it come from?), and I was approaching him…_

"_**Soul."**_

_I stopped short at the sound of the voice. What was _he_ doing here?_

_He quickly ushered my dumbstruck father out of the room, and shut the door. _

"_**What are you **__doing__**?!" **__I screamed, my voice cracking__**. "Don't interfere!"**_

"_**Now, hold on, Soul," **__He didn't move an inch. __**"Calm down."**_

_I screamed, I threw the knife at him- he ducked- and the remainders of a vase that cut my hands as well as his. I didn't care, all I wanted to do was take out my anger, but…_

…_At the same time… _

_All I wanted to do was run into his arms, hug him, and cry like the pathetic little kid that I am, because he always told me that I was too small to do all the things that he does, but someday, when I was older, he would teach me, and we would be laughing, smiling…_

_To my surprise, it is him who closes the space between us, his voice light and calm._

"_**Don't be silly,"**__ he murmurs. __**"You didn't kill little Kari."**_

_I stumbled back in surprise- the shock was too much. I couldn't think. I couldn't feel._

"_**I didn't?" **__My voice is a whisper, a stark contrast to the way it was before. __**"Then who…?"**_

_He smiled calmly, holding up his bleeding hand, and all I can see is a vision of the brother who I always aspired to be when I see that his blood is black_.

* * *

Maka waved lightheartedly, closing the door as her fiancé (she flinched slightly at the word, yet blushed all the same) left with a poised smile.

"Where's Papa?" She asked a wandering maid. "He's been gone for over an hour."

"I don't know, Ma'am," The maid answered flustered. "B-but, you know, that fiancé of yours is sure good looking."

Maka took a moment to give the maid a fleeting look of disgust before tramping up the stairs to her room.

"I wonder how Soul is doing," She murmured. The look on his face as he left had been unreadable; blank, but in the depths of his blood-red eyes, she had glimpsed hurt. Pain. From what? The bruises from the fight he'd been in before?

Maybe, just maybe, was he jealous?

She shook off the thought the second it came- Soul wasn't the type of person to be jealous. Anyways, why would he be? He had said so himself many times that she was, after all, flat and boring.

Then why, she wondered as she closed the door and locked it behind her, had he smiled and laughed with her, told the truth about who he was to her, trusted her with that secret, befriended her, talked with her and listened all the same?

For a brief moment, she wondered if she had fallen for him.

The phone rang, shaking her out of her thoughts. She lunged for it, picked it up.

"Papa!" She scolded into the phone. "You're late!"

Silence.

"Papa?" She asked once again, worried. "Papa, what's wrong? Is there something-"

"Ahem… is this Mrs. Albarn speaking?" The voice was unfamiliar to her. Even though her mother was out in a meeting, she replied roughly, "Who's asking?"

"Ah… yes. You see, your husband has just been turned into one of the Hospital's emergency rooms, and we thought you should know-"

She slammed down the receiver.

Picking up a coat and gathering the fears stirring in her chest, she walked towards the door.

"Maaaaaaaaka."

She froze.

* * *

I was screaming at my body to stop. But I couldn't- how twisted is that? What the hell was wrong with me?

_You're pathetic, Soul. Useless_,I shouted at myself, but I was approaching Maka, who looked at me with the most pained, terrified eyes I'd ever seen her wear. My body didn't stop approaching her, but I still felt the pang in my chest.

_She was afraid of __**me**_.

"Soul?" She asked, voice hardly above a whisper. "A-are you okay? I need to get going right now…"

"To see that disgusting boyfriend of yours?" The words were out before I could stop them. I wasn't in control of my body anymore, I was horrified to realize. It was as if I were just an outsider, staring at my body from above.

"What?"

Without warning, I pushed her onto the bed and crashed my lips down onto hers. She half whimpered, half moaned through the contact. Furious at the lack of response, my body grinded against hers, pulling her clothes down, skin meeting skin. We broke apart for breath.

"Soul! What the hell are you doing?" She gasped out. I took the advantage of her open mouth to shove my tongue in, and dimly, I could hear her trying to scream, her small hands flying over my body, trying to push me off, and I was horrified beyond belief, but I wouldn't _stop_…

My large hand slid down her smooth, creamy thigh, as I pushed her skirt down, dangerously close to-

"SOUL!"

With all of the force I'd ever seen her exert, she pushed me off and slammed the closest thing she saw at me.

The small, antique lamp smashed across me, drawing blood.

And finally, at last, I had control of my body. But I couldn't move.

Because on Maka's face, the happiness that was usually there was replaced by fury, by shock, by horror, by terror, but worst of all, the most prominent emotion on her face…

**Hate**.

I could barely register the words that came next as her mouth curved into a horrified _O_.

"Soul…"

_It was happening all over again._

"Your blood is black."

* * *

A/N: So, um… I actually had planned to update sooner, but I had writer's block…

Okay, so I actually have no valid excuse. Sue me. I'll try to update sooner next time!

Thanks to the reviewers (it means a lot, trust me):

SilverStella

akiko555

RinSohma

karasu~pyon

Wolf Melody

kazukarin

ToraHimeSama

Superanimelover1234

poolday

DearlyBeloved-13

Sanzo4ever

SecretSnow

SingerToPotatoes

The Inimitable DA

Cuna999

waterblossemangel13

Anime-is-mi-life

And, by the way, when I said that the pace would pick up… I meant the plot, not my updating speed. Sorry! Hehe…

Review please~


	9. Chapter 9

White… and a hell lot of it.

…

Wait a sec… I've been here before…

With a jolt, my eyes flew open, and I jerked up- only to wince and moan in pain. My head was swimming, and my vision was foggy… why was I in the hospital? _Again?_

"Hey, demon boy."

And why the _f_ to the _u c k_ was _he_ here?! My head rang- I pinched myself. Ow… so this wasn't just a bad dream…

"Yeah, you!" Death Scythe himself sat just two beds away from me, bandaged in every possible manner and sporting a cast on his left arm. His right arm was currently making a rather rude gesture at me. I happily repeated it back to him.

"What the hell do you want? And what happened to you?" I blinked, trying to make sense of why the city's top officer (and that took a lot, considering our crime rate) was so heavily injured.

"None of your business, boy." He was glaring daggers at me. I blinked again, this time in confusion.

Something stirred in my lap.

Face covered in the white sheets and hair sprawled messily over the covers, was Maka herself, a light blush to her cheeks. The sun was hitting her hair, making it shine. I stared. She looked… well, like an angel.

…(Oh, god, someone gag me with a spoon. The corniness!)

But it was true. A goofy grin pasted over my face when I realized that this was the cause for Spirit's irritation at me. I gathered her closer to me, sticking my tongue out at him in the process.

"Don't think I'll let you get away with this, you demon- hey! What's wrong with you?"

My face fell into my hands- a sharp stab of pain shot through every cell in my body, razing it to cinders.

Darkness. Sheets.

A deep, deep green.

Fear.

…Hate.

She knows I have black blood.

The scene replayed over and over in my head- her with her hair sprawled out around her head, those curious green eyes, staring at me. My body on top of hers. A heated kiss. I never wanted it to be like that… I mean…

I felt my face flush as I realized that I had, indeed, wanted to kiss Maka Albarn (_not_ cool), but…

…not like that. Not ever.

Where had the hate and fear gone? Why did she let her guard down so callously, sleeping obliviously on my lap when I had nearly raped her last night?

I stared. Last night? Actually, I couldn't remember.

While I thought as Spirit rambled and ranted, the door creaked open. I turned…

Oh great, just what I needed. After all, every person in a dangerous mental state needs a doctor with a possibly even more unstable mental state.

"How pleasant, seeing you here again like this, Soul," Stein smirked, cigarette between his parted lips. "So helpless, unable to move a muscle… I'd like to dissect you."

"YOU!" I whirled towards the sound, a.k.a. Spirit Albarn, who was gaping at Stein like a fish out of the water. Or Black Star.

"Ah, Spirit," Stein turned to the man with a smile on his face. I shuddered violently. "Don't worry, I didn't forget you. I have something… special in mind for you."

"You guys know each other?" I gaped. Was there _anything_ I actually knew anymore?

"Ah, yes," Stein grinned. "Those were the days. Did you know we went to medical school together? Roommates, in fact." He smiled evilly. Spirit burst into tears.

"He took my kidney!!"

…Well, there's a _what the fuck?_ moment for you. I couldn't envision Spirit being a doctor.

Just then, Maka woke up. I turned several shades of red (and then mentally kicked my own ass for doing so. Who the hell would blush in front of _tiny-tits_?!)

And then, to my surprise, she smiled brightly at me. "Ah, Soul! You're up!"

"You're one to talk," I mumbled, still wondering what the heck was up with her. But she just stretched, and bounded up energetically.

"I was really worried, you know." Another smile. Something seemed off this time, though, and I noticed, but kept my mouth shut. She turned to her father with a devilish smile, and I laid back with a grin as she mauled him to death.

Ah, good times, good times.

Stein gave me one last look (and I swear my skin nearly came off that time just from the look in his eyes) and turned to the limp pile of skin and bones that was Spirit.

"Ah, sir, we have some rather serious issues to talk about that are rather… private. I would suggest that everyone else leaves, but you need to be in top shape as soon as possible, and you might as well get the exercise, so…" Stein opened the door and gestured in a way that everyone knew- _get up and get the fuck out_. Spirit complied- no one wanted to mess with a (possibly) hopped doctor that probably had a scalpel under that huge coat of his.

The door shut. And opened almost right after.

In marched- surprise, surprise- Death the Seventh. Looking as pissed as he had ever been.

"Maka."

"A-ah! Death…" A blush colored her cheeks. I frowned, not really knowing why. Death the Kid smiled, and suddenly, all composure returned.

"If you would please excuse us… this boy… Soul and I have some matters to talk of."

"Of course," Maka stuttered, getting up to leave. I'm not into those corny romance stories or whatever, but when she left, I could have sworn that all the warmth in my body left with her. He sat down in a chair next to me, looking at me sharply with tiger eyes. That could only mean one thing:

I was in a shit-load of trouble.

"Soul… I didn't think you had known Miss Albarn." His jaw was taut, and I could easily hear the underlying current of what he was really trying to say; _you should have told me, bastard._

"Welcome to Death City," I snarled. "Who I know and what I do is my business."

"Well Soul, I regret to say that it's officially now my business."

"Get your stuck up head out of your ass and tell me _why the hell are you two engaged?_"

"Jealous, Soul? It doesn't become you."

"Jealous, my ass. Spit it out."

He took a deep breath, and I could tell that he really didn't want to be telling me what was coming next. Well, too bad for him. I had a right to know.

"Our parents, the honored Spirit Albarn and my dear father Death, have realized that in order to effectively survive in an economy and world with a crime rate this high, it would be wise to join our families together."

Translation: Our parents decided to get us engaged to knock each other up and make lots of rich babies.

"Due to the fact that my father has been in some financial trouble lately-"

"Woah, woah. Hold up. Since when was the Death God ever in trouble _financially_?" _The guy could probably free the whole WORLD of debt!_

"It's not just money," Death the Kid bit back, and I could see that for some reason, this 'trouble' was really bothering him, shaking up his insides and spitting them back out like a monster. (A little morbid. But you get the idea) "The requirements that we are attempting to suit need something that has lately proved troublesome to acquire. We had come close to acquiring it before, but when trouble arose, we decided to take up the Albarns on their offer, as it would prove most helpful."

Huh.

I waited as my brain woke up. I could practically hear the gears grinding together. You know how some things hit you like a brick to the face? (I would know. It hurts). That's what this thing did. And I felt like the biggest idiot that ever walked the planet.

"_It's the Book of Eibon, isn't it?_" I hissed through clenched teeth. "Don't tell me you lost it!"

"Ah…" Kid looked uncomfortable.

"Why do you need it?" I demanded.

"Unfortunately, that information has been deemed private and-"

"Screw that. Don't I have a right to know, _Death the Seventh?_" I grabbed his shirt- he let me, hanging limply, and matching my glare. I saw him visibly flinch when I uttered his title. Good. I wanted to make it clear that I wasn't going to play nice. "After the shit I've been through, don't you think that _I would want to know?_"

"Don't you _dare_ imply that I haven't been through an equal amount of _shit_ as you have!" His voice rose to a roar, and he slammed his palms onto the bed, standing up. We were motionless for a moment, neither of us breathing, neither of us saying a word. I was shocked- it was the most amount of emotion that I'd ever heard from Kid, much less a cuss word. Finally, he took in a deep breath and sighed.

"Sorry."

"No problem… We're… friends, aren't we?" I bit my tongue a bit when a thought crossed my mind- _thisissocornymyfreakinggod, whyareweevenfriendswhenhe'sgotMaka?_

"I haven't been exactly maintaining that relationship, keeping this from you," He sighed, and I felt some of the tension ease. "I guess… you _do_ have a right to know."

His sudden submission worried me. "You alright, Kiddo? Got a fever?"

He smiled sarcastically, a grin I noticed that was often on my face.

"Well, Soul, you are not exactly the person I've always known and loved."

"Touché," I chuckled halfheartedly. "Your speech is improving, at least."

He frowned after a moment, a dark cloud rolling over his face.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you the details, but… I guess you could say my family has been blackmailed, and we require the Book."

"Blackmailed? How?" I blinked. "What's the threat?" He opened his mouth to speak, but at that moment, the door opened to reveal Stein, Spirit, and Maka walking in. Kid stood up.

"I should go."

"But why?" Maka asked, too quickly for my taste. My newly acquired good mood (well, better than it's been lately) disappeared instantly.

"Business, Maka. I apologize. I'll talk to you later today."

"Um," Maka bit her lip, stealing a glance at me. "Actually, I was hoping I could stay here for the day."

Oh, _yes_. Sweet revenge! I grinned. Kid gave me a queer look, and then shrugged. My brow furrowed- _I knew that look…_

"Well, have a nice afternoon," He said slowly, and then stepped forward and kissed Maka on the forehead.

…and there went my mood again.

Stein watched this with a quiet bemusement as Spirit put on his jacket.

"Well, have a nice afternoon," Spirit repeated cheerfully, and leaned forward towards Maka, who slammed his face with a conveniently placed medical book. I chortled- I could always count on Spirit getting picked on more than me.

Speaking of which, Maka heard my little laugh and slammed the book onto my head as well.

"Well, this is interesting," Stein smiled. "I trust that you'll leave in good spirits, Spirit."

"Sure, sure," The man grumbled, trudging out the door.

There was a tense silence when the door clicked close.

"Well," Stein repeated awkwardly. "I assume Maka has found out your little problem, seeing as she brought you in while you were unconscious."

Maka and I coughed at the same time, and then glared at each other.

"You say that like I'm some sort of junkie," I growled.

"You sure act like it," Maka snorted. I glowered.

"_The problem is_," Stein interrupted. "That you," he fixed his stare on me- "need to address the black blood before it gets worse. I assume you already know the consequences of what happens when it reaches a certain stage?"

I nodded. Maka stared.

"Though, I'm surprised that even though you two had engaged in contact, Maka doesn't seem to be affected at all."

We both began spluttering, faces red like a tomato. _This is _so_ not cool..._

"You...?"

"I-I had to! I didn't think…"

"God Damn!" I turned to Stein. "My black blood hadn't gone far enough for that, and neither did the contact!"

"I don't know," Stein said dryly. "Another problem is how uncommon this is. We haven't had a chance to properly research it…" He trailed off, and I began feeling uncomfortable with the look he was giving me.

"No way," Maka broke in stubbornly. "I don't know what you guys are talking about, but you aren't taking Soul in for testing. I won't allow it."

Stein sighed, leaning against the wall. "Well, I wouldn't go against your wishes, Miss Albarn. But still…" His look lingered on me, sharpened and amplified by his glasses. I gulped.

"Yeah, uh… I'm suddenly feeling better. Can I go?"

"A great idea!" Maka chirped happily. When I looked at her, she gave me a smile too innocent for my liking. "We have some _things_ to talk about, after all, _don't we,_ Soul?"

I'd already had too many 'talks' and wanted nothing more to escape, but the look in her eyes promised the opposite.

Oh god, today was a _Monday_, wasn't it? I hate Mondays.

But you already knew that.

~....~....~

As the lights of Death City began to dim, what was left of the glow began to shine off the damp tiles. A bloodied, battered hand reached out into the open air, sad eyes peeking from the gloom.

"I… don't know… how to deal with it…"

From dry, cracked lips came a bubbling laughter.

"So I'll get rid of it… instead."

~....~....~

"So… Black blood, eh?" Maka kept her tone lilting, curious, but I could hear raging curiosity. Heh. Typical Maka.

"What about it?" My voice was gruff; the subject was- and always would be- touchy.

"Nothing," She muttered, and then to my ultimate irritation, she added, "It seems like those things you see in the movies."

"Welcome to reality," I barked out a dry, humorless laugh. "It doesn't bark- it bites."

"That would explain a lot of things," She completely ignored me (how the hell does she do that?) as her voice took on a sort of… speculative tone. "That day I met you… did that have something to do with it?"

Well, damn. She was good.

"If it did?"  
"Soul," she said slowly, carefully. "I'm your friend, right?" She looked at me with her large, forest-green eyes, and I found I couldn't say no. "Let me into your life. I want to know. Don't I have a right?"

"Perhaps," I said, unsure, because hadn't I said the exact same thing to Kid not too long ago? It shamed me to think of how… hypocritical I'd be. "But there are some things you just shouldn't know."

"Why?" She spat, coming to an abrupt halt, and I was surprised to see we were standing, once again, in that park where we'd met weeks ago, where she was the pretty, tiny-tits stranger, and I was the suspicious street kid. Nothing had changed, yet at the same time, everything had. "Is it because I'm weak? Is that it? That I might not be able to handle the truth?"

"We both know that you're the furthest thing from weak," I growled out, suddenly having an uncomfortable flashback to when she had been on the verge of tears, because she'd thought that I believed her weak, and I got a flash into the Maka that lived in the Albarn mansion, who believed in fairy tales and her one weakness was when she couldn't do anything. I remembered the blow I'd taken for her, and the scar on my chest tingled. As if reading my thoughts, she placed her hand over my chest.

"…from that time," She said dully. "It was my fault, wasn't it?" It sounded more like a statement than a question, and though every fiber in my being urged me to shake my head, I couldn't, because we were both sick of the lies that were constantly surrounding us.

"You shouldn't be near me." The words were coming out before I was able to stop them. "You've come close to it before. I'm dangerous, and rape isn't the worst of it. I don't want to see you hurt."

"And I don't want to see you in pain," She retaliated, surprising me. "Are you implying that your wants have more urgency than mine?"

"Yes!" I snarled, and though she didn't step back, her eyes widened infinitesimally. "Haven't I explained this to you before?"

"_Stop._" Even though I was a good few inches taller, she suddenly seemed very large as she spoke. "I want to help. You're a wuss that's in denial." I bristled at the comment.

"Then what do you suggest?"

Her eyes looked at my own, and I felt a shudder run down my spine when she said,

"A match-off."

"No. No way." I shook my head before she even started talking. "I don't want to hurt you."

"Do you think you can?" She smirked at me. I raised my brow.

"Is that a challenge?"

"If it is?"

I grit my teeth twice- the first in annoyance and the second to berate myself for what I was going to do- and then took a step towards her…

… And sped into nothingness, a punch aimed directly for her jaw. I blinked.

"Aren't you supposed to face your opponent in a fight?" I heard Maka drawl from behind me, and I spun around in surprise to see her sauntering up to me, not a hair out of place as if nothing had happened.

"You're not worth being my opponent."

"I agree. I'm too good for you."

"What if I hurt you?" I repeated, desperate to not to have to fight her. I wasn't afraid for myself- I was scared that she'd slip up and I'd accidentally pummel her.

"You won't," She said softly, and I heard trust that I didn't deserve in her voice, filling my gut with guilt.

"Fine."

I don't know what spurred me on to try and win a losing fight, but I adjusted my foot position and launched at her with a flying side kick. She moved an inch, and my leg slid past her. I put my hands on the ground, and used my momentum to launch myself at her with another kick, but she had already grabbed my leg and tossed me aside as if I were a day-old muffin.

"That's all you can do?" She laughed lightly, and I couldn't help but smirk in response. I feinted a fast, right kick, and Maka (of course, with her lightning reflexes) fell for it, turning to block it. At the last second, I feinted another jab with my other foot, and then threw a fist at her face.

For a split second, her face blinked into shock, and I instinctively pulled my punch. I didn't realize my mistake until her counter punch slammed my jaw and jolted my head back.

"That was dirty," I spat, my face caught between a grin and a scowl.

"What was?" She smiled innocently, and I couldn't help but smirk in return.

"Fine. I forfeit. But… if I'm not allowed to be hurt, then you aren't, either. Deal?" I watched as she grinned, showing her teeth, and bounded forward, pigtails flying.

"Deal."

My hand was outstretched, and as she reached out to take it, a gleaming dagger flew straight for Maka's head.

~....~....~

A/N: Am I reading this right? One hundred?! AHH!!! If I could, I would die of happiness, but then I wouldn't live to write up the rest of the story…

_Tons of __thousands _of thanks (and cyber cookies) to:

SilverStella

Nyaggerz

MexiJew

DearlyBeloved-13

ToraHimeSama

akiko555

memorylane19

waterblossemangel3

So, two requests~

-Review, as always, hehe!

-to celebrate getting to one-hundred (which might be nothing to some of you, but is a heck lot to me), I'd like to write a bonus chapter based on a request from you guys! It could be anything from romance, to tragedy, to crack- I'd take them all. I think.

_Review, Review, Review~ _


	10. Chapter 10

_It was dark, and I could be killed, but who cared? No one _else_ cared about me. The thoughts were bitter in my head as I crept into the shadows of the night. Nowhere to go, nowhere to stay, nowhere to call home. I wondered dimly, how would I survive? The money I'd pilfered from home would not last forever. I passed through multiple streets, gazing emptily at the just-as-empty streets, swinging the bag I carried back and forth like a metronome._

_What had I been _thinking_?_

_That I wanted to escape._

_That I no longer wanted to feel. _

_I no longer wanted to hear __that__ music playing in my head._

_The pros outweighed the cons. I trudged on. _

_I don't know exactly when it happened, but when it hit, it hit me hard as a bullet. Six bullets, to be exact. I hit the ground, my legs heavily bleeding, and my face smashed into the gravel. _Pleasant._ I heard voices as I struggled to get away from my attackers, and the blood loss was making my head go numb and light. _

"_**Hey… isn't this the Evans boy?"**_

"_**Yeah, yeah! The small one! What's he doing out here?"**_

"_**You know… you're not so tall yourself."**_

_I remember that my last thought before passing out was that these people were crazy._

_.~.~._

My time with Maka flashed before my eyes as the dagger came towards us…

Nah. That's over-dramatic. I didn't think at all when I pushed her to the ground. It took another moment to realize that I didn't have to, when all but three feet away from us, a long blade knocked the dagger off course, and both went flying, embedding themselves in the ground.

I recognized that blade!

"Mifune!" Maka and I shouted at the exact same time, her voice surprised, mine relieved.

I didn't get the chance to say anything else, though, because I was cut off by the sound of a chainsaw's revving.

Oh, _shit shit shit shit…_

"Ah, throwing daggers aren't my specialty, anyways," Giriko cackled, staggering up to us as if drunk…

… And then _fell_, mid-sentence, flat on his face. For a moment, I thought that he really was drunk, when I saw blood spilling out from under him, and Mifune _was behind the body, sheathing his sword._

He hadn't even broken a sweat.

Sadly, it wasn't the fact that a completely bad-ass person had come in, with, like, _five hundred_ swords in tow that shook me. No.

The blood flowing out from under Giriko was black.

And then Mifune was next to us again, and I turned my back on Maka, excitedly asking questions _like the fool I am_, and Maka was shouting.

_What?_

Let me tell you now, in case you haven't gotten it yet.

I am a complete and utter idiot.

Mifune reacted before me, but was stopped short by multiple bullets.

Giriko was already gone.

And so was Maka.

.~.~.

I'd honestly hoped never to see that damn hospital again, but some sort of deity up there in the clouds must hate me, because there I was, sitting outside Mifune's door, comforting Angela and reassuring her that nothing had happen and Mifune needed some 'nappy time'.

Yeah, right.

I think it's because I'm atheist.

But that wasn't what I was thinking. Stuck between two hard choices; going after Maka who was long gone, or helping a rapidly bleeding-out Mifune. And I chose the latter.

Maka could be dead by now.

"She's strong," I murmured to myself. "Stronger than I am."

Huddled in my lap, Angela smiled brightly. "Are you talking about big sis?"

"Big sis?" I asked, confused, and then realized she was probably talking about Maka. "You mean pig-tails?"

"Big sis Maka is very pretty," Angela said slyly, and I almost choked. _How old was she again?_

"S-so… when you were with her," I said, trying pathetically not to let my voice break (and failing in several different ways), "what did you guys do?"

"Big sis read to me!" Angela giggled. She was like a little rain of sunshine, and as corny as it sounds, I couldn't help but smile. I needed some of that, lately. "It was from an old, scary looking black book, and it didn't have any pictures. But the story was real good." She nodded knowingly.

"Oh, yeah?" My grin faltered, nearly slipping into a scowl. That wouldn't be the book Maka always toted around, hitting me with, right? _Damn it, I would burn that thing to a crisp. _"What's it about?"

"It's a treasure hunt!" She smiled, ignoring my half smile, half scowl. "There's a big, strong guy like Mifune, but he's in big, big, _big_ trouble, because there's lots of bad guys after him, so he hides his bestest treasure away in a place no one will find it. And then, before he dies, he uses his magic to entrust the secret to a little girl!"

That didn't exactly sound like a child's fairy tale to me. I assumed that Maka edited a little.

"Big sis says that the girl is very, very pretty like me." Then, forgetting all about the book, she settled on posing and primping in front of me, asking me if I could borrow one of those 'pretty white dresses' some 'sleeping' people had, so we could play dress up.

Very, very calmly, I refused.

Then, ignoring my need to gag her like I would usually do with the guys back at the hang out, I led her into Mifune's room under the doctor's permission.

As Angela jumped the half-asleep man, I half heartedly tried to keep her at bay, but couldn't resist looking out the window.

_Wait for me, Maka. I'll find you, I swear it. _

Then, it occurred to me she would probably kick my ass if she caught me worrying about her, so I tried my best to attend to the matter at hand.

Smile, Soul, smile. Even if you don't want to.

.~.~.

_Smile, Maka, smile. Even if you don't want to_.

With a cocky grin, Maka knocked out the person nearest to her with a smooth, fluid kick, ignored the rather embarrassing fact that her skirt was flying up, and tried her best to hold her own.

"Hold still, you little bitch!"

"Make me," She taunted, leaping up as two men charged, resulting in a rather painful collision. She knocked them out with a fast ricochet- _left, right-_ and then, on instinct, avoided the bullets that were oncoming, and punched the breath out of some junkie's gut.

This was something completely different from what she was used to. She could feel the good, poised little girl Maka inside her coming apart. And _it felt good._

Something caught her eye. Light!

This would be her chance to escape! She easily backhanded an oncoming attacker in the face (_take that, you bastard- _since when did she cuss? Oh yeah, since she met Soul) and sped for the light, that glorious light... and out! She was free!

…only, as quickly as she had spotted it, it disappeared, dimmed and faded into nothing. And she wasn't outside at all, breathing fresh air, but breathing in the musty scent of smoke and dust. Her nose wrinkled.

"Where am I? Why am I here?" She'd woken up, asleep in that room, and surrounded by goons. One second she was with Soul, and the next- she winced. What had happened?

Was Soul alright?

It dimly occurred to her that it was probably not the best time to be worrying about the white-haired boy (no matter how hot he- wait, _what?_) when a door closing sounded throughout the room, and it occurred to Maka that the room was probably _a lot larger than she'd thought._

"Welcome, Ms. Albarn." A woman's voice, elegant and soft floated to her.

"Let me out of here, bitch!" Maka growled, the profanity coming easily to her. _Gee, like hanging out with Soul had its benefits._

"There is one exit. In this room are three, highly trained assassins. Two of them are armed with firearms."

_What?_

And for the second time that day, a dagger rushed at Maka's head.

.~.~.

_I remember, dimly, that I once saw a little girl with pigtails. Her hair was tied up in pigtails with pretty ribbons, which I looked at longingly._

_I looked at the circle I'd drawn around me in the sandbox, thought about how I knew I'd never come here again, and that I would never be like her. Her dress was so pretty. It was orange and white, with pretty frills. _

_It was kind of scary when she approached me. I think she was a little younger than me, but then I remembered it wouldn't matter, because I would never see her again. I wouldn't know how to deal with it, anyway._

"_What are you doing?" She asked, moving towards the line of my circle._

"_NO!" I gasped out. "Go away. Don't touch that. You can't pass that. Go away."_

_She looked down at my circle, my safety. Then she kicked it until the lines were covered with sand and were gone. I stared._

"_I told you not to do that! Why did you do that? I told you not to… this is no good… I don't know how to deal with this…"_

"_You should be playing!" The mean girl said with a smile, holding out a hand. I shook with fear and cowered at the other end of my broken circle. "You can play with me!"_

"_I… I don't know how to…" I looked at my shadow. It was dark, and scary. Like my mother. I think it smiled at me, so I looked away._

"_My name is-"_

"_Come on! We have to go, sweetie!" We both looked up to see a tall, elegantly dressed woman with the same eyes and hair as the mean girl, who was still smiling. I think that was her mommy. I wish my mommy was that pretty and nice…_

"_Oh…" The girl looked a little sad. "Maybe next time, then!" _

"_No, no." I shook my head, quickly. "I don't think so. I don't know how to deal with it."_

"_Don't be silly!" She laughed, and then let out a sound that sounded a lot like, _'Gaaaaaaaaaoooow'_, and giggled again. "That's the sound that Commander Meow makes before she beats up all her enemies! She's so cool! Do you ever watch her show?"_

_I shook my head. "Go away. I don't know how to deal with this…"_

"_We have to go!" Came the pretty lady again, and I watched, a little sadly, as the pretty girl and pretty lady left. _

"_**We have to go**__." Slowly, I turned from my place on the box to look at the edge of the playground. _

_Hidden in the shadows of the trees, my mother seemed to slither forward toward me. Her eyes were really scary, so I got up and slowly walked towards her._

_I wish my mother was pretty and nice like that girl's mother… I wish I could tie my hair with pretty ribbons._

"_What's Commander Meow?" I asked her shakily, and she looked at me sharply, so I looked away, because if I met her eyes I wouldn't know how to deal with it._

"_That's none of your business. Your business is life and death, and much more important than silly television shows."_

_So she knew who that was, and never let me know. I held in a sigh, because I guess I always knew I'd never be able to wear pretty, frilly dresses._

_.~.~._

I left the hospital with a death glare that would have put even Death the Kid's own glare to shame, and managed to avoid any confrontations on the way back to Shinigami. Which, I guess, was mostly because I was pissed enough to beat up anyone who was within five feet of me.

Pissed at myself for letting Maka be taken, _again_, pissed at my inability to do anything useful, pissed that I had let myself stray so far from my original goal of leaving my home that all I could think of was her hair and her eyes and hell, even the way she _slammed a book onto my head_.

I was so whipped.

And I didn't even care.

Because I was tired of waiting around. I was going to do something.

Still, I couldn't help but feel a kick to my chest when I walked straight into a conversation between Death the Kid and his father.

"_You_," I snarled. "Some fiancé!"

"What-?"

"She's gone again, bastard," I hissed. "And you think you have the right to even consider her betrothed to you?"

"That is none of your business!" His eyes narrowed. "What I may or may not feel for her is none of your concern!"

"Like hell it isn't!"

"Jealous, _Eva-?_"

"I think we should stop right there," The Death God himself said nervously. "Actually, Soul, we were just talking about you."

"And I was just thinking about how I would love to rip out your guts," I smiled acidly. (God, I sounded like a _girl._ Probably too much time around Maka.)

"Actually, could you leave, Kid?" Shinigami looked to his son. "I would like to talk to Soul here."

Kid left with a warning glance and shut the door.

"Whadduya want?" I drawled, turning to him.

"That's not the point," he said, sounding amused. I frowned, regarding him. "The point is that _I _know what _you_ want."

"And..?" I didn't get it.

"And if you help me get what I want, I will tell you all you need to know."

I stared for a moment, and couldn't help but think of exactly why I had come to this place at all. He knew exactly what he was doing and I could gouge out his eyeballs for it (although, if you think about it, he might not even have eyeballs to begin with, what with that mask and all).

"You hate me, don't you?" I sulked, starting to slouch out the door.

"Go out and do what you want for now, Soul. I see you're troubled. But remember," The Death God's tone descended slowly into a much darker, violent undercurrent, and for a second, I could hear a power in his voice that was, no doubt, the voice of a true death god.

"_Take too long and you will pay the price."_

_.~.~._

_Shit_.

There was simply no other word for it, Maka decided as her breath grew ragged and her lungs ached. She could barely walk in a straight line now, much less dodge a bullet.

She knew that somewhere in the darkness surrounding her, there were two mangled bodies of so called 'assassins', and she smiled grimly in satisfaction. She'd been avoiding the last one for what had to be at least a few hours now, and it was getting a hell lot harder. Her senses were starting to fail her, her reaction time growing slower and slower.

"Are you finally slowing down, nya?" called the cutesy, feminine voice that Maka was starting to get seriously tired of. What kind of highly trained killer had that kind of attitude? Something was severely wrong with Death City.

Then again, she already knew that.

"Happy Halloween~" Came the light whisper, and suddenly Maka was violently knocked aside by the butt of a gun, her neck snapping back.

"Oops, nya~"

As Maka drew her last, heavy breath, she saw the slender, amber eyes of a cat glint faintly in the shadows.

.~.~.

I never wanted to see this place again. The place that I'd seen Maka's bloody, battered body, the place that I'd been taken to and sold off as a tool to another. The place that pissed me off so much it was all I could do not to get some TNT and blow the place fucking sky high.

But I needed to.

So, followed by Mifune and an overly-willing Angela (who had immediately burst into tears when Mifune said we were going to leave, and eventually persuaded him he was strong enough to kick anyone's ass if they tried to harm her), I avoided trap after trap, ventured through thick undergrowth, and finally through barren land to reach the fucking auction house.

Overdramatic, you say? You're right. Deal with it.

I was sick of being kept in the dark, and hell if I was going to wait any longer. Arachne had given me a head start, and I was pretty sure that if I rode that tailwind, I would be able to actually _do_ something instead of being useless. Maka sprang to my mind.

The scar on my chest tingled.

So here I was, going to confront that short-probably-obese-overly-red-with-hair-that-looked-like-horns-scared-the-shit-out-of-me-man (who was already making my blood boil just by thinking about him), and-

"SOUL!"

Mifune's shout shocked me out of my thoughts. Instinctively, I turned around towards him, and in that split second, something passed within inches of my head.

"Shit," I heard a gravelly voice growl, and as a reflex, I swung my arm and caught my attacker in the gut. Then I caught the glimpse of the familiar blindfold, and the menacing blades, and his smirk reminded me of the time Maka had been fighting him.

"Where's your sick looking partner?" I snarled, wrenching my hand back for another blow- my first blow had barely even affected him. A high-pitched banshee-like yell roared through his lips and he caught me head-on with the back of his elbow, right fist pressed against left palm to shove against my cheek and reinforce the blow. Out of the corned of my eye, I saw Mifune give a start, but I waved him off.

"Only I'm allowed to pick on Chrona," Ragnarok hissed (though it sounded an awful lot like a girl's squeak). "Do you wanna bully her? HUH? IT'S FUN, AIN'T IT?" He caught me again and again, forcing blows that I could barely defend against.

_My turn_. I snarled in my head. Maka was waiting.

With a roar, I grabbed an oncoming fist, using his momentum to shove him forward. He barely moved though, and reared his other hand to punch me. A smooth blur, I ducked down, dodged a counterattack, and struck him three times.

Gut.

Chest.

Before he even started to break a sweat, I let my momentum control my arm and swung my forearm down on the side of his neck, resulting in a loud, resounding _thud_ that impressed Angela. At least, I think so. Her giggles told me she'd seen many fights more serious than this.

Oh well. It was _good_ that Ragnarok didn't have a gun.

As if on cue, a voice even _higher_ than Ragnarok's (Dear god, how is that possible? I swear, I have to stop _not_ expecting this crap) rang through the air.

A large sword impaled itself into the ground _right fucking next to me_.

"Chrona!" Ragnarok shrieked, his voice bordering on shrill. "He was going to bully you!"

"Isn't that what you do... hehe… all the… heh…. Time?"

"Are you on crack?" I asked the pink-haired… girl… boy?

"Medusa…"

My eyes narrowed. A single, pale eye rested against my face.

"Who are you?"

"Huh? We've fought before! What are you-"

"I don't know how to deal with strangers…"

"I'm not a stranger!'

"Ah…" Chrona clung to the pink, oddly cut hair that framed his/her head, and shook violently. "I don't know how to deal with it."

"What?"

A flash of teeth. Chrona looked up, and I swear I shuddered on a molecular level. The most deranged, _impossible_ look I'd ever seen was pasted onto Chrona's face.

"So I'll eliminate you…"

"_Damn it_," I hissed.

Suddenly, Chrona was _everywhere_.

Left?

No, too slow. I pounded against the gravel before I could even gasp in surprise. The shock knocked whatever air was left in my lungs and I was too tired to breathe. I could hear Ragnarok cackle vainly. Freak.

Above!

I shifted my weight, tried to catch Chrona by surprise, and leapt.

No dice. I slammed into the ground. A fist jetted into my stomach. I think blood flew out of my mouth.

I heard a dim shout I recognized as my own.

What the hell was this? Chrona's speed wasn't natural! It was those things you see in fucking _movies_, for crying out loud (I would know- I watch a tad too many movies to be considered cool…)

I tried to gasp for air. Key word being _tried_. Chrona was beating me into a freakin' pulp.

(Well, this wasn't how I imagined this going…)

"_**What do you think you are doing?"**_

Well, that was a kicker. My one-time offender was my one-time savior. I got up, dusting myself irritably. Chrona tried to kick me down, but the little red _imp_ came out of nowhere, and barked at Chrona to stop.

"Well, well, well," The auctioneer (imp) smiled, amused. "What have we here?"

If he forgot me, I would kill him. I mean, how many people do you meet with _red eyes and white hair?_

"You have connections," I growled, wincing from the pain that throbbed in my skull. "I need them. I'm looking for… someone."

"Ah, yes." He smiled again. "But I'm afraid that, to do that, you'll have to make a deal with me."

"Deals with the devil," I snarled, rolling my eyes. "Stop fucking with me."

"What?" The imp smiled in feigned innocence (let me tell you, it was terrible). "Are you telling me that Soul Evans, known as 'Soul Eater' on the streets with his gang, son of the prestigious Evans family, wants to give up on his pretty little girlfriend?"

…

_What…?_

"Bastard," I choked out. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"In fact, I do, my boy." He smiled that demonic smile, and I saw the disturbing image of a short, red, snarling devil. "Now, please hear me out. I'm sure Ms. Albarn wouldn't appreciate having to wait."

Silence reigned for a moment. I could feel Mifune's shock, and Chrona's confusion.

"What do you want?"

"Oh, I think you know," The imp smirked unpleasantly. "There's something _**black**_ in your heart. Your _**blood**_ reeks of it."

"_**What the hell are you?"**_ I roared, leaping out towards him, but Mifune held me back. "How do you know all this about me? Where is she?"

"Connections, as you said, boy," The demon chuckled. "Soul, allow me to train you in the black blood, and I will tell you all you need to know about your precious Albarn."

.~.~.

A/N: _**IMPORTANT! READ!**_

I'm going to be gone for three months, so this story will be put to a stop for a while. Sorry! In the meantime though, _**please do review**__-_ I'd appreciate it!

The bonus chapter will be posted along with the next chapter. _Expect fluff~_

Of course, I have to thank the reviewers for having the patience to read this crappy fic!

Thanks to:

Mayzie La Bird

waterblossomangel13

akiko555

Cuna999

animephoenix2468

SilverStella

Serena Scarlet

wanderwithme4now

RebelAngel91210

animeaddict411


	11. Bonus Chapter

A/N: Here is the promised bonus chapter, in celebration of one hundred reviews! And it's an entire month earlier than I thought it would be, oh my. These things like to write themselves. All in Maka's point of view!

_Read and review_~

Warning: Fluff. Enjoy!

~.-.~.-.~

You roll over twice, bury your head in the pillow, and stay completely still for three seconds.

_(Sometimes, she wonders why he won't leave her head.)_

You blink, staring at the walls, and the piano in your room-

_(But it isn't her room. It's Death the seventh's. Her fiancé, her idol, her __future lover__-)_

-reminds you of his long, elongated fingers and the way the light played across his ruby eyes.

_(She misses seeing them. She wants to know when she'll see him again.)_

He was crying. You don't think it's sissy or makes him look bad. If anything, it made him more mysterious.

_(Because she can still remember the taste of moist salt on her tongue and the heat that poured out of her eyes just as her love had bled out of her heart, watching her Papa with-)_

You once had friends... for a grand total of one week. Then you were taken out of school during your second week of sixth grade. It was your second week ever going to school.

_(-another woman will never, ever replace her Mama. She hates him, hates him, hates him, hates him-)_

Because you aced even their AP classes. They had no idea what to do.

_(But if she hated her Papa, then why couldn't she bring herself to truly mean it when she said it?)_

You bury your head under the covers. You can remember that, just yesterday, he was laughing. He seemed carefree. Like he didn't have to bother going to school.

_(Because if he didn't go to school, then maybe he wouldn't judge her like they had.)_

You could relate to the pain that had been in his eyes.

_(She can tell, with just one glance, that he, too, had been judged for things he had no control over.)_

"My name is Maka," You had said. And for some reason, you had really wanted to be his friend, and a huge smile had found its way onto your face-

_(He was probably lonely, too. Why else would he have smiled back?)_

~.-.~.-.~

The next time you see him, you're fighting a girl, though from the look on his face, he probably doesn't know that she is one. But you can tell.

_(Because she was laughed at for not acting like one, and the pain of being shunned-)_

But despite the numerous bruises and wounds, you only feel pain because he is protecting you. He barely knows you, but he is protecting you.

_(The way he looks at her makes her feel like the most feminine, delicate, loved being on the Earth.)_

But suddenly, you are being attacked, and he is _there, he is in front of you, he is protecting someone he barely knows-_

_(And she feels like, for some reason, maybe they couldn't be friends even if they tried.)_

He is falling, he is bleeding, but the gratitude you feel is at war with the horror. You feel your own consciousness slipping away-

_(They would end up being more.)_

-so you reach out across the distance between you, and link your fingers with his.

~.-.~.-.~

He's in the hospital. You give him one of your infamous Maka chops because he's an idiot.

_(She notes that it's partially out of mortification for having held hands with him. And he didn't know it.)_

And suddenly, when you are about to leave, he stops you with a single word.

"Don't."

_(She already knows what's coming, though.)_

"What?"

"Trust me."

_(But it's too late. She had trusted her entire being to him when they first met.)_

~.-.~.-.~

You're both in a cell. It smells like sweat and mold and rats and sewage.

_(But she can smell him, and he smells like leather and fresh grass and rain and soil and-)_

He doesn't know how you got here, and you don't bother telling him.

_(But you know that he probably won't mind if you don't.)_

You think that his shoulder is a comfortable pillow, and before you realize it, you're falling asleep.

_(Because, even in this situation, his presence once again promises her protection and comfort, and before she can think about what she's doing, she's-)_

Your fingers intertwine with his.

~.-.~.-.~


	12. Chapter 12

_Once upon a time, there was a perfect little boy, with a perfect little suit, playing a perfect little piano._

_Once upon a time, there was a perfect family, with a perfect life and three, perfect children._

_Once upon a time, they became an imperfect family with two children._

~_.-._~

There are always going to be hard choices in your life. Honestly, I never really expected to have many of those ever since I escaped into freedom.

Lately, freedom's been a lot more like hell.

"You know where Maka is…?" I asked cautiously, not trusting him. The more I looked at him, the more he looked like a little sort of… imp devil thing (and if you haven't guessed by now, I don't see a lot of those. Does _anyone?_).

"Why don't you find out?" He smiled, revealing razor teeth.

I bit down on my lip as Chrona and Ragnarok bickered in the background. Angela and Mifune were silent, but I could feel Mifune's eyes watching me, waiting. Like his gaze could stare right through me.

"I want a straight answer," I hissed through my teeth as my previous rage evaporated. It was a little stupid (no one _I_ know would even consider it), but if I could save Maka…

But was I willing to go through insanity?

Making up my mind, I took a step forward, and toward my decision.

This was _so_ not cool.

~_.-._~

Death the Kid had been feeling troubled lately. Soul was gone, undoubtedly doing something to find _his_ fiancée, while he hadn't done anything useful- for _neither_ of the sticky situations he'd been in for the past few months.

With a grim (symmetrical!) smile, and his two favorite guns in tow, he instructed Liz and Patti to take care of matters (basically meaning kicking anyone who stepped out of line in the balls. Symmetrically, of course) and set off.

The sun was beating down on him, and the ground was littered with pebbles and rubbish, and-

_The sun!_

Horrified, Kid whirled up to look at the sun (which _probably_ wasn't a good idea, but he didn't care because)-

_The sun was on his right!_

Jaw slack, Kid fell to the ground, the epitome of lost hope and despair. From his lips came a low groan, "Oh, my most high and mighty God, what have I done to deserve this? Why have you abandoned me? Now only the right side of my unworthy body shall be cast in this most dreadful light! How fitting a punishment for-"

"Dude. What the _fuck_ are you doing?"

A moment of silence permeated the air, broken only by a sob from Kid, who was still on the ground and refusing to look at Black Star.

"Ah, Death, sir…" Tsubaki fidgeted nervously, unsure of what to do. He _did_ seem rather… well, typical. "I don't mean to sound pushy, but Liz and Patty informed us of what was going on and sent us to…" _to make sure this exact thing wasn't going to happen._ Tsubaki chuckled nervously.

"Well, it makes sense," Black Star nodded sagely after a moment. "After all, he _must_ be feeling terribly alone and lost without an awesome person like me!" Maneuvering so he was blocking the sun from Kid, he crowed, "I am your God! I acknowledge your humble groveling!"

Tsubaki giggled half-heartedly again, holding up a blindfold.

Well, they couldn't afford to lose any more time, right?

~_.-._~

_It's dark here_.

I couldn't make sense of the jumbled thoughts in my head. It was like trying to find a needle in a haystack- or, a clear thought amidst clouds of nonsense.

Nonsense. Like the black taking me over, screeching like nails against a chalkboard, like steel against granite, taking over my heart, my _soul_-

Soul.

My name.

It had worked last time. I clung to that thought tightly, willing it to pull me from the current. Instead, it pulled me in deeper.

Reality was a lot simpler than the nonsense, so I attempted to concentrate on that, instead. I could feel my numb fingers, banging on cold ivory that never warmed no matter how many times I ran over it. I heard discordant sounds that would never _ever_ qualify as music, and the off sound of that _demon's_ laughter.

I tried to voice my thoughts, but all that came out of my mouth was a carnal snarl, and a bubbling laughter that reminded me of a certain hermaphrodite-

-struggling, again, to pull away from the torrent of insanity, I managed through clenched teeth, "You _bastard_."

I suppose it was too late, by then.

The smog of nightmares and a dark, pulsing life had already overtaken me.

The last thing I registered consciously was the imp's voice, eager and greedy.

"_A success… wouldn't you agree, Wes_?"

~_.-._~

"Medusa." A cell phone snapped shut.

"Arachne," came the blunt, nonchalant reply.

The smile that spread over the dark woman's lips was almost tangible through the air.

"He's finally done it. I told you it would work."

"Mmm." Medusa's amber eyes narrowed infinitesimally. Arachne's plan had been incomplete; she'd let the boy go when he was finally in her grasp. On the other hand, she herself had failed at every turn. Nodding mechanically, she looked up, refusing to admit defeat in her stare.

"Call Noah." The curved lips broadened into a smirk, and the light caught against Arachne's ruby lips, a color some may have considered suggestive. "It's finally begun."

But as Medusa slunk into the shadows, all she could see in the color was scarlet blood turning to onyx.

~_.-._~

"We are going to find Noah's hideout," Kid announced boldly the moment his gag and blindfold were removed.

"Dude," Black Star guffawed, still chained up by Tsubaki, who was looking more awkward by the second. "You're insane. Nobody's ever, _ever _managed to find a trace of him unless _he_ came for _them_. And even then, half of the time they wind up dead!"

"You're right," Death said slowly. "That's why we're going to change that."

Black Star seemed to consider.

"A fit task for a God like me," Black Star grinned. "I'm in, Kiddo!"

"But, Death," Tsubaki murmured, "We're only teenagers. We can only do so much."

"Not _only_ teenagers," Death the Kid said severely. "I am the son of a self-proclaimed God, did you forget? Black Star…" He seemed pained as he struggled to describe the hyperactive boy, who was currently doing a little victory pose. "He has trained in multiple arts and is a descendant of…" Kid cleared his throat. "A very prestigious line of assassins."

Black Star fell silent at that.

"As for you, Tsubaki, you are a direct descendant of a ninja clan known for their skill in weaponry. Surely we have nothing to worry about."

"After all," Black Star jumped right back in, if not a little jumpy. "These guys are just your average gangsters, right?" A cocky grin comforted Tsubaki. "If guns are all we have to worry about, then there's no problem."  
"That _isn't_ all we have to worry about, idiot," Death the Kid scolded. "We must find the hideout, first. Which will be a lot harder than you think it is, because-"

"Assassin, remember?" Black Star grinned humorlessly, for once. "I'm a bloodhound."

"Right." Kid took a deep breath. "We still have a page from the book. Can I trust you with this?"

"No," Black Star said doubtfully. "But you're going to have to, anyway."

A sigh escaped Kid's lips.

"I know."

~_.-._~

Insanity is hard to describe.

Humanity is completely based on other people and our interactions with each other, as well as our experiences. We act certain ways to get a wanted reaction from certain people, and there is always that incessant need to keep up an _image_, no matter who you are.

Insanity is ripping away all of that, all of your humanity. Insanity is ripping away your wants and needs and replacing it with a straightforward, mindless path of desire.

Insanity is your primal instinct at its strongest.

This was much stronger than what I had experienced before, when I had assaulted Maka. This was a dark, pulling torrent.

This was…

I couldn't describe it.

The room was dark, just as before, only this time I didn't get a sinister vibe. This black felt _right_, like home. It was so much easier to give in, give up my morals and dead hopes, and just _exist_.

A man stepped forward, towards me, and I let a vicious snarl erupt from my lips as my calloused hands arched and curved into a pair of claws.

"A little pitiful, Soul," He said in an all-too familiar voice, _too familiar. I didn't like it. I would make it go away, because it hurt._

I laughed out loud. The name 'Soul' was stupid, so it was funny, so I laughed. Then I remembered that I was mad, very, very mad at this man, because even though he told funny jokes, he was familiar in an aching way. I didn't like it.

I lunged at him, my hand curling into a fist, hoping to hit him. Maybe if I hit him, he would disappear. And if he disappeared, the pain would go away.

That was a good thing.

He dodged, and the light caught in his eye. It hurt my own eyes a little, so I stopped, and stepped back, away from him. Away was good. He wasn't, though. This man scared me. His snow-white hair fell over his face, and his red eyes seemed to appraise me for a moment. I got a sudden feeling that made me feel like I was looking in a mirror.

"I thought you were stronger than this, Soul."

"SHUT UP!" I blinked. I didn't mean for that to come out. I only opened my mouth. I was just feeling mad. Well, I didn't mind, because he was laughing at me. I hated him.

He pulled an instrument out, and started playing.

For a moment, it was like a haze washed over me, and I could see clearly.

_Fuck it all, this was Wes_.

He smiled at me, soothingly, but I couldn't quite make it out, because the insanity was pulling me down again.

"No," I gasped through my lips, suddenly collapsing on the floor. "Stop. Stop. _Stop, stop, stop it, you bastard, you-_"

"Embrace it," Wes hummed with the music. "Then control it."

Unable to make out words, I fell to the marble ground once more, the cold stony feeling comforting the outraged heat I felt in my head. Just a little.

I glanced at the violin. Then I remembered that I hated violins, so I pushed myself off the floor and lunged at it.

He blinked, not expecting it. Good. I didn't want him to think anywhere close to the same lines as me.

Like the tightened bow that broke under my closed fist, the insanity broke clear from me again, and I was able to think clearly again.

"I will _never_ give in," I hissed, dropping the long piece of wood to the ground, where it fell with a kind of pathetic _whump_. "And _you_." I whirled around to the demon. "You will tell me why he is here!"

"It should be obvious to you," The auctioneer hummed contentedly. "He is a true master of the synchronization between Black Blood and Music." He smiled a dreadful grin that stretched over his yellowing teeth.

"Soul, music is an art, and as such, is influenced by deeper emotions. Insanity is not that different. They are both expressions of the human psyche."

"Shut up," I growled weakly, but it came out as more of a defeated mumble. In a way, it _was_ true, but there was nothing more embarrassing than being educated by your mortal enemy, much less your older brother.

Besides, I had a promise to fulfill.

"Maka," I said, clearing my throat. "Where is she?"

Wes smiled, and it reminded me so much of myself that I looked away. This was not right. Insanity was a release from my problems, and it gave me a kind of forbidden fruit sort of strength, but it wasn't right.

Reality was my best friend, Maka, gone, and my brother as my mortal enemy.

Reality was my best friend having a fiancé and my brother being a psycho maniac.

Reality was a bitch.

I suppose I didn't really consider the truth of those words, though, until the demonic auctioneer shook his oversized head, and denied me.

"I'm afraid we're not done with you."

"Tell me!" I growled. Fuck, I did not have time for this! Maka was out somewhere, and as much of a badass she tried to be (and, okay, kind of _was_), she couldn't do _everything_ alone.

But with a chill running down my spine, I realized that was exactly what I had been doing. I backed into the piano, suddenly dizzy with despair. In an attempt to become stronger and be able to handle situations myself, I'd buried myself further into trouble.

I was too stupid and full of it to realize it, and now I was in trouble, alone.

But I owed it to Maka to try, I realized. Maybe I _wasn't_ strong enough like I had convinced myself, but I wasn't going to just sit around and hope someone would come for me.

The despair in my gut was still there, but it was joined by a sort of determination.

_This time_, I thought as I stepped towards Wes, who wore a triumphant, knowing smile, and the broken bow, _This time, maybe I can spare my teammates and friends hope. An attempt at teamwork._

But I would have to fight off my own personal demons first. And suddenly, I saw reason in listening to the imp.

To protect those that mattered to me, I would go through hell.

_Insanity_.

I sat down at the piano, a different determination set in my head, and began my demise.

This time, I would overcome it.

~_.-._~

"Ox, what are you doing? You idiot, we'll be-"

"Kim, I promised I would get you out of here. It's exactly what I'm doing."

"Don't risk your life just to keep a promise to me!"

There was a pause.

"I'm not. This is for me, and you, our future, and…" Ox took a breath. It was getting dark, and the guards would be returning from lunch soon. They had to make a move. Lifting his eyes to meet Kim's beautiful ones, he continued in a strong voice, "there's something going on, and a friend of mine is in trouble. We need to help him."

~_.-._~

Blair looked at the blood-splattered floor in disgust. Being a female assassin had its perks, but the unnecessary gore wasn't.

Oh well.  
She couldn't help but remember an overhead rumor, of a desperate boy who had run away from home, and a brilliant girl who had befriended him. If anything, it made her curious.

"Curiosity killed the cat, nya~" she cooed to herself, but it wasn't like she was an actual cat, anyways.

Making sure not to step on any puddles of blood, Blair left the room, never sparing a second glance to the girl on the ground, whose pigtails and pale skin were coated with heavy red liquid, and green eyes open and dull. Her chest did not move.

~_.-._~

A/N: Sorry for the late update. Things have been hectic lately. _Real life has become a huge pain, but reading your comments makes me smile, no matter how detailed or how simple_. It's your wonderful reviews that keep me motivated, so remember, more reviews could possibly mean a faster update~

_Many thanks to:_

wanderwithme4now

Suma Akila

StrangeTastes

SilverStella

Cuna999

nyaggerz

ToraHimeSama

KittyAttack

Serena Scarlet

RebelAngel91210


	13. Chapter 13

Purple strands bouncing at each step, Blair padded down the corridor, and quietly ducked into a small, dusty room with nothing but an uncomfortable-looking covered gurney in the corner. Pursing her lips, the woman confidently strode up and slipped a small sandwich under the covers.

"You owe me for this, you know," She purred slowly, but there wasn't any anger in the amused tone.

"I know, I know," A muttered groan came from under the frayed sheets. "Just get me out of here, please." The groan became a desperate whisper. Blair's amber eyes changed, from narrowed slits to a soft gaze.

"I promise."

~.~.~

Often times, Black Star already felt like he was at the top of the world, not that he was shooting for the position. Crouching down and delivering a spinning kick to the gut of his enemy, this was definitely one of those moments.

"Tsubaki, didya see that?" He burst out excitedly. "I just-"

"Black Star," Kid scolded quietly. "This is supposed to be an infiltration, not an announcement that we're here."

"It appears it might be too late," Tsubaki said from Kid's left, shifting into a stance not unlike Black Star's, but managing to be more poised and refined. Kid took this in with narrowed eyes- Tsubaki truly on guard meant that a threat was coming. Shifting so that the three were back to back, they awaited in the dark for the danger to come.

At first, there was nothing but a tense silence, and Kid felt himself growing impatient. What was wrong with him? He was always trained to be poised, patient. There was no sound, not even from the unconscious people on the ground, just the three quietly breathing.

Suddenly, it struck him that he was anxious.

Kid was so lost in his train of thought that even his refined senses didn't catch the noise of the first attack. In fact, it was Tsubaki who, with all the finesse that she was known for, spun gracefully, whirling out a dagger and redirected a bullet that was aimed straight for his head. It imbedded itself into the wall, still smoking.

"Look who's here," a voice came from the ceiling. Kid, as well as Tsubaki and Black Star, flicked their eyes up towards the mess of pipes and poles that covered their sight of the roof.

But Kid could hear it, hear the thudding heartbeat of the man (and it was most definitely a man's voice that called to them) hidden in the metal maze, and Kid could feel his own heartbeat accelerating; he hadn't had a decent challenge since his fight with Soul.

From above, a form flitted effortlessly to the ground, rushing straight towards Kid.

~.~.~

_thump-thump_.

_thump-thump._

I could hear my heart, slowing and accelerating at completely different intervals, random and irregular. _This is it_, I thought to myself, but I couldn't find any comfort in the thought. No, I wouldn't find it here. Not in the blackness of the room, not in the red of that man's face, not in the white of my brother's hair, not in the crimson of my own blood.

I wanted to see the green of her eyes.

Maka.

Funny, how quickly she'd become so important to me. Such a vital part of _me_. I couldn't deny it anymore- even through the danger. It was too late now, and it seemed that, at this point, her fate was aligned with mine; I just hoped that our fate wasn't bleak.

Kind of an odd state of mind, I was in. Insanity, but smooth. It came in ripples instead of crashing tides, and I found the darkness easier to control. I snorted once at that thought; that wasn't what a hero would say… _controlling the darkness_… well, I'd known for a long time that I wasn't a hero.

I was a villain.

But even villains had things important to them. I was ready to face the reality of things; the blood in my veins flowed what felt like sluggishly, but I was feeling high with adrenaline at the same time. Experimenting with my dubious control over this form of insanity, I tried to move my hand, and the fingers twitched, albeit a bit sporadically.

_Come on, make it work_, I willed myself. _Maka's waiting…_ With just that thought alone, I felt my entire body jolt free of the trance it had been under, and immediately, I stood up. I paused for a second, waiting for the insanity to take over again, to start that battle with my inner self once more for control of my body…

…Nothing happened.

And then, out of absolutely nowhere, it hit me.

_I loved Maka._

I loved her.

Strangely, that thought froze me where I was, a stiff block of ice just standing there as I realized what this might mean for _us_, for our out-of-balance friendship. I didn't want to _lose_ that. I wondered how it had taken me this long to realize it.

From behind me, Wes smiled calmly.

"You're ready to move on to the final task."

~.~.~

"Lord Noah."

"Gopher. Are the preparations complete?"

"Certainly. Lady Arachne has informed me that she has sent her best… _servant_… to deal with the intruders."

"Very well. And…. What of…?"

"We've had no word, sir. My most sincere apologies."

Noah swore silently under his breath. So his enemies would get to the treasure- _his prize _- first. He paused a moment, took a sigh, and then relaxed.

No matter. Not even Arachne, after all, had what he had; a hidden ace.

And, in spite of himself, Noah smiled.

~.~.~

Kid narrowed his eyes and rushed forward to meet the attack head on. His eyes narrowed infinitesimally- right before an inevitable crash, he swooped to the side, feinted a kick to the legs, and twisted around to swing back with his fist.

The man, for all his stout bulk, avoided the attack quite easily, and landed on both of his feet, not a hair out of place.

"Mosquito," Kid said, mildly surprised. "I've heard of you. I wouldn't have thought to see you here. What are you doing?"

"None of your business, young Death." The man smiled terribly, his pointed noise a comical contrast with his voice. "I supposed you understand who I am, though? I would be surprised if you don't, considering your lineage." Mosquito gave Kid what came off as a rather appraising look.

"Of course." Kid smiled calmly.

From the darkness, Black Star flashed out of thin air right in front of Mosquito, and delivered a quite unexpected punch to Mosquito's face. Mosquito, who had barely sensed Black Star's presence the moment before, didn't manage to move away in time and there was a sickening _crunch_ as his nose was broken.

Flanking Kid's sides, Black Star and Tsubaki crouched down, ready to spring, as Kid continued to smile, serene.

"That's why I know that you're no match for the three of us."

Mosquito growled. "Don't get so cocky with me, boy!" As if by magic, he seemed to swell to twice his size, a bulging mass of muscle and brawn. Kid seemed unperturbed.

"Black Star, Tsubaki." Kid gave them both stern looks, and they instantly fell into formation. Tsubaki, with all the flexibility granted to her, glided towards Mosquito and delivered several quick strikes to his body that seemed to have no effect. A grim smile on his face, Kid started forward as Tsubaki continued to flash sporadically around their enemy, appearing out of nowhere quite often to deliver more ineffective blows. Black Star was nowhere to be seen.

Kid pulled out his favorite pair of guns, and pointed them at Mosquito, just as Tsubaki flashed into existence again.

Three things happened at once.

Tsubaki flitted forward once more to deliver another glancing blow.

Kid, perfectly in control, shot twin bullets aimed directly at Mosquito's eyes.

And Mosquito, with surprising speed, ducked out of the way and smashed his enlarged fist into Tsubaki's face.

With a pained cry, Tsubaki was flung back several feet, where she lay there, unconscious, next to the still bodies of the henchmen they had defeated just minutes before.

"TSUBAKI!" Black Star's voice rang throughout the dark of the room, clearly enraged. Mosquito grinned. Kid just watched silently, glancing to the side to check that Tsubaki was still, in fact, breathing.

"I hit your little girlfriend, did I?" Mosquito chuckled, and Kid could practically feel Black Star's fury. The urge to interrupt the fight with his guns was nearly unstoppable, but he forced his guns back into their holders and stood, watching.

After all, this had clearly become personal for Black Star.

"Her hits had absolutely no effect!" Mosquito crowed, and there was no answer but Black Star's enraged huff. "And here your friend stands, not doing a thing about it, and you're too cowardly to- eh?"

Mosquito abruptly stopped, and with a twitch and a shudder, he began to shrink back to his regular size.

"No effect, huh?" Black Star said quietly.

"W-what?"

"Tsubaki knows every inch of your body," Kid said emotionlessly. "Your nervous system, your pressure points… she can incapacitate them and render a normal man's body useless in a matter of seconds." Kid gave Mosquito a hard look. "Obviously, you are not normal."

Mosquito whipped out a gun and pointed it at Kid's head. Kid didn't move an inch.

"You attack me, I'll shoot your friend!" He snarled.

Chains, hidden by the blackness of the room and the dust on the floor, rose suddenly to surround Mosquito, who shot his gun in surprise. Kid's hand quickly flit up to catch the bullet just inches from his face, and watched as Black Star flew down, his chain scythes in hand, and delivered a devastating kick to Mosquito's skull.

The man fell, unconscious.

Clearly incensed, Black Star raised the blade of the scythe, ready to deliver the finishing blow, but Kid's hand on his stopped him.

"We need information," Kid said quietly.

And Black Star, breathing heavily, ignored him and turned to see to Tsubaki.

~.~.~

When Mosquito finally awoke, disgruntled and irritated, it was tied to a mahogany wood chair. He liked to think of himself as sophisticated, and therefore examined the beautiful wood for a moment before turning to glare at his captors;

Two teenaged boys and a hugely busty girl.

All three of them were glaring right back, hostile and expectant, which quite irritated him to no end. Children were impatient and intolerable, as he had learned over his lifetime.

"Are you Noah's crony?" Death asked, his amber eyes defiant and his jaw taut. He snorted at that thought- _Noah's crony. What a joke_.

"No."

"You're lying."

"No."

Little boy Death seemed to measure his disgust with Mosquito with his need for information. To his surprise, he was suddenly kicked in the face, the boy's amber eyes glaring right into his own, burning furiously. Every sharp angle of his face was drawn, taut, and so definitely incensed that an involuntary shudder ran down Mosquito's spine.

And Mosquito, as proud as he was, could not deny that for the first time in his life, he was _afraid_.

~.~.~

Blair carted the gurney out of the room casually, past the flickering lights and the occasional guard that paid her no heed, whether from respect or fear. She didn't really care which, actually.

The white, moth-eaten blanket that covered the gurney shifted a tad, revealing a scant few strands of blonde hair. Sheepishly, Blair nudged the cover back over the edge.

She didn't get very far after that. At the exit of the building, a pair of heavily muscled guards brandishing guns gave her an appraising (if not _lecherous_, really. Blair rolled her eyes- _Men, whutcha gonna do about them?_) look before a grin spread over their faces at precisely the right moment. _Obviously, _Blair thought to herself, _they didn't know who she was. _Blair took advantage of this to sidle up closer to them, smiling cattishly and lowering her voice huskily.

"You wouldn't mind letting me out of here, _would you, boys?_"

The guard on the right of the double doors shook his head slightly, as if to break out of a trance, and gave her a harsh look. "What for?"

"That'd be a female's secret~ Sorry." She smiled teasingly and began to saunter past the guard on the left, who was still openly gaping. However, his partner was not convinced.

"I don't know… Sorry, but orders are orders." Out of the corner of her eyes, Blair saw the man's hand twitch towards his gun. She batted her eyelashes a few times, faking innocence.

"Not even for me?" She sighed theatrically, shrugged, and turned around so the two wouldn't see the smile on her face turn into a deadly grimace. "_Have it your way, then."_

Moments later, Blair sauntered out of the exit doors, two unconscious men with blood seeping out of wounds on the floor, and any surrounding security cameras crushes to bits. Still pushing the gurney, she turned, blew the two a kiss, and resumed her journey.

Once clear of the building, Blair stopped, whipped off the sheets with gusto, and grinned proudly.

"There you go, Maka~" She purred as the blond girl sat up, yawned, and threw herself down. Her clothes were grungy and stained with blood, but she didn't appear to really care. Her green eyes flashed knowingly, and Maka Albarn gave Blair a huge smile.

"Thanks, this means a lot to me…" She cast an inquisitive look. "But you still haven't told me why."

"Why, what?" Blair asked, her smile faltering the tiniest bit. She quickly plastered it back on, hoping Maka wouldn't notice.

She did. "Why are you doing this for me? You have no reason…"

"I need no reason, sweetie," Blair winked. "I was just curious, nya~"

"Curiosity killed the cat," Maka warned dangerously, and Blair ignored it. "And who are you, anyway? I need to know."

Blair frankly thought that this was amusing; the girl she had pretended to kill not too long ago was demanding information from her. Deciding to humor her, Blair flopped onto the sidewalk, and Maka hesitantly followed suit.

"There are a large number of us," she began quietly. "We are led by the most powerful of us, a woman more powerful than the lot of us put together, almost as strong as Shinigami himself. Her name is Mabaa.

I can't tell you much more than that, except for the fact that we are all women…" Blair smirked dangerously, "and we are the most powerful group of assassins in existence."

"Mabaa?" Maka frowned cutely. "How come I've never heard of her…?"

"Don't know," Blair said off-handedly. "Probably because that Death God gang is always making a big scene, and they attract more attention. Maybe because we are good at what we do and no one finds us."

"And you…?" Maka asked, looking a bit cautious now. Blair could see her tiny frame tense the smallest bit, as if preparing for an attack at any moment.

"I'm a stray," Blair grinned. "I go where I please."

For a moment, there was silence (Maka, thoughtful- and Blair, unrepentant), and Blair suddenly stretched and yawned, her chest bouncing at the movement considerably. Maka couldn't help but stare a little enviously.

"Anyways, it's time we meet up with your friends," Blair grinned, looking up at the sky.

"Friends?" Once again, the poor blond girl was caught off guard and confused.

"You'll see."

~.~.~

Maka didn't see at first, but when Blair dragged her into a small, run-down restaurant ("Seafood restaurant," Maka had groaned. "Figures."), she had jumped up and ran forward.

"D-Death?" She stuttered, a small hue of pink covering her cheeks. Blair observed this curiously (if not a little put off- in the back of her mind, another white haired boy was more prominent when thinking about Maka Albarn).

"You're safe!" Kid stood up, and embraced Maka, who squeaked and squirmed uncomfortably. A blue-haired boy was laughing boisterously in the booth, and a quiet, tall raven-haired beauty sat by his side. "Maka, this is Tsubaki," (Tsubaki smiled, friendly, and said her hello) "and this is-"

"I AM BLACK STAR!" The blue-haired boy rejoiced, jumping onto the table. "I AM THE MAN THAT WILL SURPASS THE GODS ONE DAY, AND-"

"Maka CHOP!" Maka grabbed the nearest object (conveniently, it was a pepper shaker), and banged it onto Black Star's head. Curiously, it didn't break over the boy's hard head, and Maka flung it aside.

"Can't you _be quiet_?" People were starting to stare. Blair had sat down with Tsubaki, making friendly talk, and Kid ushered Maka to sit down, beaming.

"I knew you three would get along," He said, and then seemed to notice the state of Maka's clothes.

Maka tensed, knowing what was coming… except that it never came. For once, Kid abandoned his obsessive disorder and was turning a serious look onto the table. Even Black Star stopped yammering.

"First of all," he said in a low voice, "I would like to thank you, Blair."

"Oh, it was nothing," She said playfully. "I owed you one anyway~"

"Nevertheless, thank you." Kid turned his eyes on Maka, and then Black Star and Tsubaki. "Now, this is going to become a little hectic, but there are going to be some difficult times ahead, and the five of us will have to join forces…"

All at once, the four agreed. (Black Star, of course, was saying how he knew Kid would come to him, the _SUCCESSOR OF GOD!_, for help. Tsubaki was all smiles, saying friends would naturally help each other out. Blair agreed immediately for the fun of it, and Maka simply nodded her consent.)

"Because of the nature of our, erm… _mission_, it is vital we know what we are about to be doing." Kid watched Maka cautiously for a reaction when he spoke;

"We will be retrieving Soul Eva- _Eater_… from the people who are currently… holding him. I can't say everything now, but we are going to find him and ensure his safety. (He saw Maka tense with worry, and immediately felt a small pang in his chest- of what, he wasn't quite sure, so he brushed it off) But first, there is something we need to accomplish."

As the afternoon ticked by, the five huddled in the far booth, engaged in conversation and grinning eagerly, ready for battle.

~.~.~

Tsubaki, Blair, and Black Star looked down at the old abandoned church.

"Black Star," Tsubaki fretted. "You'll be all right?"

"No need to worry about me!" Black Star smiled brightly, before hopping off the ledge and out of site. Nodding reassuringly to Blair (but mostly to herself), Tsubaki and Blair split up, circling the building in opposite directions.

Inside the building, Noah sat, an amused smirk on his face…

~.~.~

"Where are we going?"

Maka clung awkwardly to Kid's waist on his motorcycle (which, for some odd reason, reminded her of Soul) as they sped deeper into Death City's countryside, which appeared to be quite removed from the sprawling city and oblivious to everything that was going on.

Kid stayed silent at her question, but she felt him tense within her arms. Frowning, she didn't press him for anything else until the two finally reached a stop at the edge of a field that seemed to stretch on for miles without end.

"Here," Kid said, smiling patiently and reaching out his hand for hers. She took his outstretched hand, and together, they ventured into the field.

The grass was long and had a wild look to it- it stretched up to their thighs as they walked deeper and deeper into the middle of nowhere. After a while, Maka felt ready to burst.

"Kid!" Maka exclaimed impatiently. "Please! I want both of us to be ready for whatever's going to happen, and that's not going to happen if you don't inform me-"

Cutting her off, Kid raised a finger to her mouth, pressing her lips gently, and said,

"You'll see in due time."

Finally, Maka could make out a shape in the distance- was that a small cottage? What was it doing here?

She didn't realize she had spoken her thoughts aloud until Kid murmured, "I was tipped off by a certain… source… that we needed to be here." He seemed stressed. "And that you were required to come… I, myself, am here for your protection."

Maka was taken aback by his subdued tone, and didn't say anything until the cottage was clearly in view- having an oddly fairy-tale look to it, it was made of wood and covered in chipped paint. It was covered in scratches and seemed sturdy… yet liable to fall apart at any moment.

"Kid, what's going on?" Maka asked once more, a frown etching onto her face. Any fear she might have felt was immediately covered by a swooping shade of sudden excitement, and raging curiosity.

"Maka…" Kid turned around to face her completely, and Maka was abruptly caught off guard. "Maka, I want you to promise me that whatever happens… what I say next, you will keep in mind. I need you to know!" His citron eyes suddenly seemed ablaze, a passionate fire that raged angrily as he turned just as suddenly as he had before, not letting Maka see his face.

"Kid?" Maka suddenly felt uncertain.

"We are going to go in there, Maka, and I'm afraid that you will have to just trust me for now. I don't believe anything bad will happen, but I just… well, that's why I'm here." Kid closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and looked pleadingly at Maka. "Before I say anything else, I would like your consent. I- we are about to take a step into the unknown, and I would like to know if you are willing to go with me."

"Of course," Maka said straight away.

Kid said nothing, just stared at the cottage. It seemed awfully strange, Maka thought, as she followed his gaze. This whole situation- Kid, who seemed so confused, who had never wavered before… and then, of course, there was the cottage, which seemed to be all by its lonesome and abandoned. Kid seemed to snap back into the present, and shoved a bag into her hand. She looked at him inquisitively.

"One more thing, before we go in…"

~.~.~

Maka stepped into the cottage, dazed and confused.

What Kid had just said to her- was it true…? She shook the thoughts away, and felt suddenly very aware of Kid waiting outside, Kid who had turned the true ferocity of his gaze onto her…

Following his directions, she located the first door to her right that appeared in the run-down and dusty cottage, and opened it to reveal a small closet. Grimacing at the cobwebs and small articles of clothing, she pushed them aside, and in the far left corner, was what appeared to be an electrical outlet. Taking one of the tools in the bag that Kid had handed her before- a screwdriver- she popped off the cover, and revealed a rectangular casing that was not an electrical outlet at all. She opened it, looked at the opaque glass that was underneath the cover, and pressed her thumb print to the glass.

Standing up and dusting herself off, Maka watched in amazement as the entire house seemed to bend into itself- the horrible wooden paneling disappeared to reveal a sleek, metal surface, the staircase folded itself up to reveal an elevator, and out of the corner of her eye, Maka saw the kitchen morph into what seemed like a highly advanced technology lab.

Breathless, she stumbled towards the kitchen door, only to be stopped by an electronic voice.

"_Bzzt_… Please provide…_ Bzzt_… a blood sample to be permitted…_Bzzt_."

The seemingly open archway that led to the kitchen suddenly burst to life with a flash- and an electric gate encased the entire opening, sparking as if alive. To the right, a small vial had appeared. Wrinkling her nose in distaste, Maka shuffled around for a razor, cut a quick, small slash into her thumb, and let two drips of blood drip into the vial.

Buzzing and whirring, the vial retreated back into the wall, and the electric gate dispersed, giving her clear access into the kitchen.

The kitchen- or lab, as it had turned into-, was completely empty and cleaned of everything, save for a single small box on the counter.

About three inches square, Maka could easily hold the metallic box in her hand, though she didn't dare pick it up. Hesitating as she came up to it, Maka recalled that Kid's instructions had stopped here, as he had no clue as to what she was to do, either, other than it had to be her and her alone.

The box seemed so innocent, she thought. The top four corners had small holes in them- and other than that, it was completely nondescript. Deciding it couldn't do any harm, Maka squeezed her recently cut thumb, and let a single drop of blood drip onto the surface.

It didn't do anything, Maka realized after fifteen seconds of staring blankly at it. Nothing had been accomplished except for a slightly morbid feeling that arose in her gut, watching her blood- _her blood was sinking, being absorbed by the metal!_

Gripped by sudden courage, Maka picked up the box.

The effect was instantaneous. The four holes spat out wires that latched onto her skin, and Maka watched in horror as the box began to unravel, revealing another piece of machinery that did an entire body scan of her.

Beginning to regret her decision, Maka didn't realize that the wires had begun to dig into her skin until her skin broke, and she howled in pain.

A jolt of electricity shot through Maka's entire body- her eyes rolled into her head, and her body collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

The mechanical voice rang through the cottage once more;

"Bzzt… _Transfer complete_."

~.~.~

Tsubaki shouldered past a few guards who gave her a repulsed glance, but said nothing. Smirking viciously, her slender fingers reached up to her face-

-_and tore the skin right off_.

Still walking confidently, a black wig was shed onto the floor, and she let it fall carelessly behind her. Fluffing out her real hair, Medusa smiled sadistically.

"I _am_ the master of disguise, after all…" She let out a bemused sigh.

Perhaps, if she was lucky, Blair (the _traitor_, she would get her for that later), and the blue-haired boy (Black Star? What a load of shit) would be caught dead later on.

But it wasn't as if she cared.

~.~.~

"_Before you go in there, Maka… promise me you'll be careful. And Maka, don't forget the instructions…"_

"_Kid, what's _really_ going on? You're so… distracted."_

_Kid ran a hand through his hair, breathing anxiously. Maka had never seen him like this before. _

"_I hadn't seen this coming… I never thought the situation would turn out like this…"_

"_Kid, what's wrong? Are you in trouble? What's-"_

"_Listen to me, Maka._

_I've seen the way you look at him. I know what you probably feel, but I need you to understand, I need you to know. At first it was just something arranged, nothing out of the ordinary. I had known I would have to put up with something like this from the start. But then I got to know you, really got to realize… and then, I was falling before I knew it."_

_She couldn't breathe._

"_I know you probably don't feel the same. But you need to know, because this has been driving me completely insane!_

_Maka._

_I love you."_

_~.~.~_

A/N: And we leave it off at that. Hope the wait wasn't unbearable! I got so caught up trying to deal with life that I almost forgot about this. But it's a good thing I didn't. To repent, I made the chapter just a teensy bit longer~ Hope to hear your thoughts~~

Thanks to those considerate reviewers~;

NekoKid

Iloveme264

Mistyfire's Code is Secure (lol)

wanderwithme4now

23Sadistic-Tranquility32

ToraHimeSama

nyaggerz

KittyAttack

Cuna999

fAnGiRl4Life005


	14. Chapter 14

Rain is supposed to be a calming thing. So many times, over and over, I've heard people describe as a soothing, rhythmic; a calming, sensual lullaby.

What people don't understand is that, here, rain doesn't just fall.

It pours.

._~_.

Spirit Albarn was a proud man (except when in front of his beloved daughter). He had undergone too much in the past to be emotionally weak, hardened as he was (except when in front of his beloved daughter). So here he was, sitting down, facing a fear terrible and dreaded by all of mankind.

"What are you here for, Spirit?" Stein drawled lazily from his well-used chair, stirring a cup of coffee half-heartedly.

"I'm looking for my daughter, Stein." He lowered his eyes dangerously (though he was still visibly shaking), attempting to go for intimidation. It had worked on suspects before.

Stein merely shrugged off the glare and leaned against his desk, the very description of boredom. "I don't know where she is."

"Yes, you do," Spirit nearly growled, and the shaking stopped immediately. "I've held off investigations into you and your little _friends_," he spat, "because of the promises that you could keep my family out of trouble. Obviously, you lied! My daughter is _gone!_"

For a moment, Stein seemed tired- almost weak- and his gray hair suddenly seemed to be from age and not natural, as it was. His dull eyes glinted from behind glass frames. "Safety in this city is a hard promise to keep, and you know that. I did my best, but your daughter chose to… be involved with some of the more shady residents of Death City. I can't help you there."

"You _know_ them," Spirit hissed. "Don't try to fool me. You _know _whoever it is that took her, don't you?"

Stein didn't answer for a long moment. Spirit's panting eventually ceased, but he was still visibly fuming.

"Mr. Albarn," Spirit said suddenly. "Even if I did… there is nothing the two of us can do about it. We're getting old. This is not something we can handle."

The two men settled for staring dully outside the window, at the waning moon that seemed to be taking the stars with it. There were no bright sparks tonight.

Somewhere, in the far outskirts of Death City, someone screamed.

._~_.

"_What happened to me?_" Maka shook her head frantically. "You have to be lying to me! I never- I didn't-"

"Maka!" Kid said sharply. "Calm down! This is not harmful in any way, I assure you. This is only going to aid our quest." His eyes seemed to narrow, and Maka shuddered- they had turned as cold as ice. "Maka, you are aware of the Book of Eibon?"

Uncharacteristically, Maka couldn't help but tune out her (she mentally winced) _fiancé._ She had woken up outside of the cottage, awkwardly lying in Kid's arms, and discovered a mark that was quickly traveling up the left side of her body. In her embarrassment, Maka wouldn't admit that she had seen the mark before- it was a birthmark she had long since discovered; an odd curlicue. Seemingly stemming from the very birthmark, which was on her hip, the curlicues danced up her waist and seemed to have spread to her left arm as well.

"Maka! Listen to me!"

"S-sorry." Maka very nearly whimpered. His eyes softened with an emotion she would not have recognized before- one that made her squirm a bit. Every time she had thought of his confession, it made her feel almost _guilty_, as if she were somehow betraying-

"I wasn't even going out with him," She growled to herself. Soul had, once again, inevitably crept into her thoughts. Maka nearly forgot Kid was next to her.

"Sorry, what?" Kid blinked.

"Nothing. What were you saying?"

With a sigh, kid ran his hand through his oddly layered hair. Maka stared, unsure. _Once upon a time, I didn't think it was so bad to be married to this guy. What happened?_

"You, Maka, have been turned into a key."

"I- what?" She gave a start, stunned. Normally, she would have been twitching with curiosity at this point, but nothing seemed to matter at the moment, except for…

…_except for white hair, red eyes, sharp teeth, a smug grin…_

"The Book of Eibon is encrypted in an odd code, and you are the key."

Okay, that definitely made… no sense at all.

"Forget it." Kid sighed again. "I can see that nothing is getting through to you. Let me just say this, then; we will be joining Black Star, Tsubaki, and… _Blair_, in their endeavor to retrieve Soul."

Maka noticed the way he said Soul's name, and it bothered her. As they ventured back to his bike, Maka asked softly,

"Kid… you wouldn't happen to be… _jealous_, would you?" It sounded weird, even to herself. It didn't help that Kid wouldn't answer.

._~_.

"Black Star to Tsubaki, do you read me?" Black Star grinned gleefully into the communicator device Blair had given the three of them.

"Loud and clear," Tsubaki's soft voice rang out to him. He had noticed it seemed a tad off ever since their journey to the café, where Tsubaki had taken a rather… long and extended bathroom break, but all the same, her voice was comforting as always.

…except that it sent all of Black Star's senses on fire, in a feeling of suspicion that had never even once been associated with the Tsubaki he knew. Shaking away the thought, he murmured quietly, "Left front clear. How goes things eastside?"

"Some help would be appreciated, yes," Tsubaki giggled softly.

Black Star smiled as the laugh warmed his insides- and filled him up with a sense of dread that he just couldn't ignore. Carefully turning his communicator over in his hands, he adjusted it accordingly.

"Blair… I can't believe that the almighty God is saying this… but I need your help."

._~_.

Medusa finished her conversation with the little _brat_, and smiled, pleased. The Tsubaki girl's voice hadn't been hard to master. Soft and feminine with an edge of maternal-

-just like her own mother had been. Medusa scowled.

Eager to get that off her mind, she picked up her wig, and set about making sure that she matched the very appearance of who she wanted to be. This was her art- a conniving snake. She was done within seconds.

_Now to wait…_

It didn't take long. After five minutes, the boy's loud, resounding voice cried, "TSUBAKI!"

"B-Black Star," Medusa stammered, quickly beckoning at the guards nearby to pin her down before the boy came into view. "H-help…"

"Anything for the pretty lady," Black Star's voice boomed smugly. Medusa waited and waited… but nothing happened.

"Where are you, Black Star?" Medusa very nearly growled, her voice breaking out of its façade for a split second. "Please, it hurts so much…"

The pressure was suddenly gone from Medusa's back. She blinked in confusion as the five guards fell lifelessly to the ground next to her. That wasn't supposed to happen- she had done her research, she was definitely supposed to be able to see the boy no matter how trained he was, but she hadn't even seen a blur…

"He said _anything for the pretty lady_," A voice suddenly hissed in her ear. "_You look anything but pretty to me."_

"Blair!" Medusa hissed, whirling around just in time to see Blair's trademark steel claws come within inches of her jugular. "You traitor!"

_That's_ why nothing had happened! Blair, with her animalistic traits, was able to pad silently as a cat might, her stealth surpassing even Medusa herself…

"No," Blair murmured. "I was never on your side to begin with."

"You would betray Mabaa?" Medusa hissed dangerously, losing the façade altogether in reference to the woman who headed their entire organization. Slowly, the steel claws rose, prodding the top of her temple. A trickle of blood fell down Medusa's cheek as she felt the black wig slip off.

"You have it all wrong," Blair purred sweetly. "I supposed you deserve to know- it was Mabaa who betrayed you."

With a howl of fury, Medusa lunged, the strike of a snake, not even bothering with her usual evasive tactics. For the first time in her life, her head was not clear and precise- muddled by fury and rage by the woman who had betrayed her-

-_Three children were playing in a garden, while their parents watched on. The wife's hair was golden and shone, honey-like in the son. The man's hair was onyx and mysterious, but his green eyes were kind._

"_Medusa, Arachne, Spirit," The woman called affectionately. "It's time for a snack."_

"_**She wouldn't**_," the sound came from her without her even thinking.

"I always knew she would be your downfall," Blair said, the amusement gone now. All that was in her voice was pity, pity that was so strong and clear and overbearing that Medusa couldn't take it-

"_Where is Tsubaki?_"

"She's with your pathetic little friend," Medusa screeched, whipping around to see the boy, who seemed to have materialized from thin air. Or perhaps her senses were so fogged that she had no idea as to what was going on. "You can find them, but it's too late!" A maniac cackle bubbled from her lips. She could feel the Black Blood that she had kept under so long spreading through her, tainting her very mind…

"What do you mean, _too late_?" The boy's egotistical manner seemed to have dispersed. "Are they here?"

"And if they are? What does it matter?" The blood had gone to far now. With a final sigh, Medusa let the insanity control her, taking over her limbs and controlling her mind-

-_"Momma, will you ever tell us what you do for a living?" Medusa's high-pitched voice rang out, a clear soprano. "You always keep everything a secret!"_

"_Yeah, Momma," Spirit chimed in with a chirp._

_Their mother merely laughed. "Someday, dears, someday."_

She had barely begun to draw her fist back, when she felt it propel itself forward again, smashing Blair's face square. At the same time, she let the force of the blow continue, aiming itself towards the annoying little boy…

…But he was gone, already. Black blood had granted her inhuman speed, but he had escaped? It took her a second to process that _he was faster than her, and he wasn't under the influence of the dark blood_.

It was just a second later that he re-appeared, his feet launched against her back, shoving her down. Normally, the action would have broken her spine, but the Black Blood protected her against such annoyances.

A cold metal blade pressed against her throat.

"She's in here, isn't she?"

"YES, YES!" Medusa screeched, and felt herself falling apart at the seams. This wasn't right, this- "BUT YOU'RE LIKELY TOO LATE! SHE'S PROBABLY ALREADY DEAD BY NOW!"

So fast that Medusa didn't see it coming, even in her super-human state, Black Star punched Medusa so hard that her neck snapped back, and once again, if not for the Black Blood, her neck would have broken.

"You _bitch_," Black Star heaved out, as if speaking to her hurt his pride, and he raised his foot to crush her skull.

Of course, Medusa thought as his foot smashed into her face, and she felt weak but still whole, it wouldn't work. The Black Blood worked for hours on end, unlocking parts of the human psyche that should have never been uncovered; faster regeneration, faster movement, the ability to do and know things that humans shouldn't…

… all in exchange for your sanity.

_This wasn't so bad_, Medusa thought as Black Star continued to pound her. At least she couldn't feel any of it.

"Cut… it… out!" Black Star ground out with each blow. "I know what you're doing, and god damn it, I'll kill you!"

"You don't have to, Black Star," Blair said flippantly. "I could do that for you."

Black Star seemed to almost glare at Blair in disbelief, but he turned back to Medusa.

"_Bitch_," he repeated, and slammed her gut with the heel of his palm. "_Did you hurt Tsubaki?_"

"No…" Medusa murmured, dazed. Not from the blow, but from the oddest feeling…

…_the Black Blood was wearing off_. Much too early.

Was it because of fatigue? Was her body too weak?

…

Oh.

Was it because at the back of her mind, were butterflies and little smiling girls with annoying younger brothers and tea with parents still first and foremost? Was it possible that her mind was, to its deepest core, denying the insanity?

She couldn't comprehend it.

Finally, with a deep and painful sigh, the black blood receded all together.

Black Star, seeing the change in her eyes, backed off immediately, and watched silently.

"You brought this on yourself," he said, his voice low and husky. "If you hadn't… if you hadn't… to Tsubaki, I…"

Medusa saw the look on his face. _Love_, was it? That was an emotion she had thought she had long lost…

Blair, who had been so distant and unrepentant, walked to Medusa's body, lying on the floor, with a kinder, sadder smile.

"If you hadn't killed so many, for no reason… if you hadn't done so much…" She broke off. "You have a child, too, you know. Your child is in pain. You're the one who caused it."

_I know,_ Medusa wanted to say. _I'm sorry_, she almost said, but she couldn't. Because she knew that she wouldn't mean it, that the part of her that loved had died a long time ago.

She closed her eyes, and distantly saw her own soul split unevenly- glowing, summer days with sadistic cruelty overpowering it, and she saw her sins.

Unable to deny it, she almost smiled.

"M…Momma," She murmured. Black Star and Blair didn't say anything, simply left her to her own peace, and her dying breath.

"_Hey, Momma, why did you give me such a weird name?"_

"_Dear, Medusa is a perfectly fine name."_

"_I hate that my name starts with an 'M'! I hate that letter!"_

"_Honey, my name is Mabaa- that starts with an 'M', doesn't it? I think our names match. Isn't that awesome?"_

As Medusa died, she saw her mother laughing with a young, blonde girl, wearing expressions of happiness that she didn't recognize on her own face.

Medusa died with a smile on her face.

._~_.

I had the oddest feeling, like insanity was _good_ for me. I wasn't raging anymore- I looked somberly at the piano that I had smashed to pieces- and yet I wasn't exactly in my right mind, either. Thoughts flew in and out of my head, before I had time to dwell on them.

There was one thought, though, that kept coming into my mind…

_Maka._

"Soul," Wes said, and I turned to face him. He had walked out of the room, and came back holding a bound girl in his arms, tied up and gagged. She had long, raven hair and an ample chest- she seemed familiar. I couldn't place my finger on it…

"Who'sat?" I demanded, my words coming out slurred, as if I were drunk. Wes seemed amused.

"It doesn't matter who she is- only what she's done." He walked towards me, rapidly closing the distance between us, and hissed, "Do you remember Maka Albarn? This little bitch killed her."

I blinked. But the figure that he held was familiar… I knew, down to my deepest core, that she would never, ever harm my Maka…

…Except that rationale refused to stay in my mind for long. The Black Blood swept away my logic in a dark torrent, and I couldn't _think_ anymore. I half screamed, half laughed, because the pain was just as excruciating as it was exhilarating, and it refused to stay bottled up in my feeble body, one that couldn't hold the power that was bursting through my limbs and veins, seeking refuge, seeking blood…

"You are revenge," Wes hissed, beginning to untie her. "You seek what you have lost. If you kill this girl, then you will regain your beloved…" His soothing words painted a picture in my mind, one that was just a little too bright, a little too colorful, but so promising that I couldn't refuse it- not when I was under the influence of the Black Blood

I reached out for the girl's skull as I fought back the very movement with everything I had. It was as if I was battling against myself. In my mind's eye, I could see me- regular me-, and my darker, evil self. He smiled, and in one swift move, overpowered my _(self_) sanity.

A roar tearing through my lips, I drew back my fist and threw the girl up against the ruined piano. Broken pieces of wood and metal poked into her flesh, drawing out blood, but I didn't hesitate to pounce on her, to punch her again and again and again… Blood dripped out of her mouth now, and she began to hack violently, but I didn't cease.

…_This was wrong, stop it, make it go away, I don't want this, I never will-_

With a loud laugh, I drove my foot into her torso, relishing in the sadistic action yet cringing away from it. I couldn't understand myself anymore, didn't understand what the world was, what was _my_ world, in the form of green eyes and light hair… I finally saw myself.

I was insane.

I was useless.

I was nothing.

Jumping forward, my hands twitching sporadically, my long fingers sought for her neck, clasped together, and began to shake violently.

"D-d-d-d-did you _kill her, bitch_?" I whispered, stuttering over my words in the urge to get them out. "_I'm going to make you die even more painfully than she did, you know_."

Her hands fluttered uselessly over mine as she choked, and my mind was screaming that this was wrong, but her attempt was so, so weak, and I was so, so strong…

"Don't die yet! I'm not THROUGH with you!" Letting go of her small, slim throat, I punched her jaw again, growing excited when I heard it crack. I repeated the movement, over and over, like a metronome that sat on the top of a piano as dull scales tinkled out of the keys…

"TSUBAKI!"

Wes and the demon were gone. I whipped around with a growl rippling in my throat, and met the gaze of a murderer.

._~_.

Black Star leapt the room in two easy bounds and ripped Soul off of Tsubaki. His mind whirled- _so that Medusa bitch had known this was coming!_ Murderous intent flowed straight through him, and he could feel his very being changing, becoming stronger, and more agile. This was the curse passed down in his clan…

… but at the moment, he didn't care. "YOU IDIOT! WHAT DID YOU DO TO TSUBAKI?"

The Soul in front of him just threw his blood-splattered head back and laughed, deranged and out of tune. It struck Black Star to the core; _this wasn't Soul_. But there was something that called for his attention even more…

… Tsubaki's body was not moving.

"You…" His body quivered. "Did you… kill her…?" His voice wavered, but never once rose above a whisper.

"SO WHAT IF I DID?" The monster laughed, cackling with glee. "I HOPE SHE'S DEAD, THE LITTLE-"

Before he finished the sentence, Black Star had launched himself off the floor with his arms, sending the heel of his foot straight into Soul, who flew back into the far wall.

"AHAHAHA!"

All at once, everything was put into… a sort of perspective. Black Star drew out his dagger, clutched it in front of him, and looked at what used to be his best friend.

_He did that to Tsubaki_.

He jumped forward just as Soul did. The boy's fist smashed into his face, but Black Star slashed straight across his chest, and a dim thought occurred; would he re-open those wounds Soul had gotten once upon a time, so long ago?

But it didn't really matter anymore. Soul stumbled back, chest heaving in an effort to breath, giggling all the while.

"She's dead, she's dead, she's dead," he hummed, shaking with glee. "SHE'S DEAD, YOU FUCKING MORON! AAAAAAAH!"

"You're _lying_! She was your friend! _Our_ friend! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO HER, YOU IDIOT, HOW COULD YOU-"

A roundhouse kick to the face silenced Black Star quickly, who didn't even flinch, but retaliated with a punch of his own to the face, and heard Soul's nose crack. Good. The bastard deserved it.

"It's too late, isn't it? Hehe…" Soul wiped the blood from his mouth, and smacked his nose back into place. Blood dripped out. "You can't do a thing, you're a useless pile of shiit~"

"SOUL!" Black Star, not even feeling his own body anymore, felt his blood turn to ice, and he leapt forward once more, fist drawn back…

"STOP!"

Everything happened very fast. Black Star, beyond even rage itself, was midair, prepared to deal the finishing blow, and Soul had frozen, his red eyes so wide that they could have popped out at any moment.

Into the room stepped Maka, her green eyes blazing furiously and her hair tied in long pigtails as always.

"You're _both_ idiots, the lot of you- _oh!_" Maka rushed forward towards Tsubaki's fallen figure, fluttering over her fellow girl nervously. Sending a glare at the two boys, she shot, "_Which of you idiots did this_?"

Then she saw the state they were in.

Black Star had frozen at the spot, azure eyes wide and disbelieving, moving from Maka, to Tsubaki, to Blair, who had just walked in. Soul's crimson eyes wouldn't leave Maka, even as she approached him and whispered,

"_Soul_."

"…."

"I-it's… it's over… it's going to be okay…" And Maka burst into tears, wrapping her long, thin arms around Soul.

Black Star fell over in a dead faint, exhausted by fatigue, and Soul, too, slumped against Maka's arms, eyes closed in a restless sleep.

"Oh, Blair," Maka whispered, her voice breaking and shooting up an entire octave. "We have to get them out of here, we have to do something…"

Nodding somberly, Blair picked up the fallen form of Tsubaki, when light _taps_ were heard against the bloodied, marble floor.

"Well played, Miss Albarn."

Maka blinked in confusion, staring at the man's face, and then back at Soul's, and the connection formed almost instantly- _they're related, aren't they_? The snow white hair and blood-red eyes were exactly the same.

"Please," She said desperately, "are you here to help? Please, we have to get them out of here, to a hospital…"

"Help?" The man threw back his head and laughed, a pleasant sound that sent her every sense on alert, because it was just as soothing as it was dangerous. "Don't be silly, little girl. That fool of a brother is an idiot, and hasn't yet proved his worth. No, there is no help that I will be offering." He smiled a crooked grin that was handsome as it was disturbing.

"You're terrible…" She stared, and then suddenly lunged at him. He deftly dodged. "You! You did this to him, didn't you? You sick, you terrible-"

"Au revoir, Miss Albarn," He purred, his tone lilting as he walked out of the room. "This is just the first of many encounters we are going to have." His smile widened. "And don't think this is over, little girl. This downpour has just begun."

"WAIT!" Maka screeched, flying forward to pursuit the man, furious… but Blair held her back, shaking her head.

"Don't, Maka. We have to get them to a hospital, and _now_. They're nearly dead…" She checked Tsubaki for a pulse, and frowned somberly. Knowing that she couldn't spend any time dawdling around, she gave one last regretful look in the direction Soul's brother had gone, and helped Blair support the three unconscious people out of the room.

._~_.

I woke up in a hospital.

My first thought was immediately, _'Oh fuck this, God must be screwing around with me or something because he _knows_ that I bloody hate this place_.' It was probably because I was atheist. I scowled.

My second thought, which followed almost immediately after, was a memory.

I had been insane. I had almost killed a friend. And my brother was behind this.

"WHAT THE HELL?" I burst out, and immediately flinched, because for some reason, my head was aching. I lay back down in the hospital bed as someone shushed me.

"Black Star and Tsubaki are still sleeping," Maka said quietly as she walked in.

I stared at her face in sudden, rapt attention, eager and yet hesitant all at once. I could dimly remember that I had an epiphany when I had been insane, and it had revolved around this girl. Scrutinizing so carefully as I was, I didn't notice the book she had come down straight on my head in one of her infamous Maka Chops.

"_Aaah_," I moaned, because _god damn¸ that hurt_, and did this girl get _off_ or something on hitting people in the hospital?

But I didn't say anything more, because she was crying, blubbering all over my (frankly _really_ uncool) hospital gown, and hugging me so tightly that my face turned red, I couldn't breathe, and if this was what I got in exchange for my ability to breathe, then I couldn't honestly say that I minded it much.

Slowly, I wrapped my arms around her as well, and everything abruptly felt _right_.

"Don't cry," I muttered to her. "It ain't cool."

"You _jerk_!" She sobbed, pounding my chest. I winced theatrically (but seriously, _man_ that girl packs one hell of a punch!), but couldn't bring myself to complain. Maka was practically sitting on top of me. And her face was much, much too close for comfort. I flushed red again. "You had me so worried!"

"Heh," I chuckled once, humorlessly, because those memories of the past few days were too painful to dwell on. "Sorry, Maka."

I could hear Black Star's loud, arrogant snores along with Tsubaki's feminine sighs on the other side of the hospital curtain that separated us, but suddenly I couldn't really pay attention to that, because my face was getting closer to Maka's, and my heart was beating so fast that I didn't know what to do.

Our lips touched briefly- She sighed my name, and it sent tingles down my spine, not unlike the way Black Blood had, only this was so much _better_, more pleasant. A chaste kiss, it was very, very short, and so sweet that it felt like a millennium before she pulled away, and yet it was still too soon.

"M-Maka…"

But Maka didn't respond, as she had fallen asleep on my lap. Smiling for real for the first time for what felt like eons, I combed my fingers through her silky hair and looked out the window as the sun began to rise.

._~_.

"The boy took the information, sir," Mosquito squeaked, cowering against the floor. His entire body was covered in bandages and bloodstains, but Noah didn't honestly give a shit. "I-I couldn't… stop him…"

Noah's dull eyes narrowed. "You are a bloody _fool_, Mosquito."

"Y-Yes, sir…"

"You're very lucky that you've done something right, for once."

Mosquito looked up in confusion as Noah chuckled, and for a second his eyes widened with relief. "I-Is that so, sir…"

"Yes," Noah mused. "The children are fools, even more so than you. They don't realize they are driving the Book into my hands. Even Shinigami himself doesn't know the true contents of the Book of Eibon." He laughed darkly. "I'll have it, soon enough, though. You did well, Mosquito."

"Th-thank you, s-sir…"

Noah pondered for a moment. It had seemed as if the Death boy's interrogation of Mosquito had left the once proud man traumatized. Waving him out with the flick of his wrist, he did not spare another word for the stout, bloodied figure.

As Mosquito hurried away gratefully, Noah silently raised his gun.

Mosquito's body hit the floor with a muted thud.

"Ah, yes." Noah smiled, satisfied. "Let the storm begin."

._~_.

A/N: Wow, I updated in less than a month. Hell is freezing over! Those reviews really motivated me, guys~

Medusa is dead, Soul has been rescued, and everyone is safe… for now. Wes, as some of you may (or may not) have guessed, will play a large part, almost like that of Arachne and Noah… and perhaps even more so. But for now, I'm going to give the characters a break- they deserve it.

As usual, many thanks to those who reviewed~;

angela

misfitgirl92

SilverStella

Cuna999

Piggy7869

iloveme264

Anatidae

NekoKid

Sanzo4ever

13

KittyAttack

As always, reviews are much appreciated!


	15. Chapter 15

When I woke up, Black Star and Tsubaki were gone. Normally, Black Star would have woken me up the second he himself did, and argue with me. Maybe punch me. Maybe threaten to kill me.

Maybe threaten to break off our friendship in that subtle way of his.

On my lap, Maka was stirring. I flinched, feeling the moment slip away, but before I could do anything, Liz quietly walked into the room and said a few words before slipping away.

It was all I could do not to fall over in surprise at what she said.

Black Star surprises me with his idiocy sometimes. I mean _come on_, really? (I mean, not like I was ever any better, but still!)

~_-0-_~

I half ran, half limped down the courtyard, unable to keep the grin off of my face. Standing there with his trademark impatience was Black Star, with Tsubaki, Liz, Patti, Kid, and-

The last person standing there had me gaping like a fish, unsure of what to say. Maka.

I wasn't quite sure if our kiss had really happened- it had felt so much like a dream (embarrassingly enough, it wasn't the first time I had dreamed about kissing her, but- _no, you did not just hear me say that_). Kid noticed the instant tension that had manifested between Maka and me, and scowled. Black Star, ever oblivious to his surroundings, held up the basketball he nestled under his arms and threw it right into my face.

"I call captain!" He crowed, bounding around as if he had never been injured in the first place. "Maka's the other captain!"

"W-what?" Maka said, shaking her head wildly and stammering. "No way, I don't even know how to-"

"GIRAFFE!" Patti shrieked, and tackled Maka lovingly. Liz and Kid chuckled expectantly- Tsubaki just kind of gave me a, _you-guys-are-all-*lovable*-idiots_ look.

Maka didn't know how to play at all. During the course of our game, she was hit on the head twelve times, let the ball slip several times, was smacked in the face twice (once from me, of course), and had even ran straight into a pole in the excitement.

I couldn't help the smile. We _needed_ this. Despite our injuries and the problems going out on in that complicated, bitch of a world, this was a well deserved break and we knew it. We sat under the shade of the trees, safe from the beating sun, and at ice cream together. We laughed and allowed ourselves to forget.

How long would this last?

From beside me, Maka noticed my hesitation and offered a sympathetic smile. I returned it, and without warning, suddenly smashed the ice cream into her face. Her mouth a wide _O_ of horror, she gave a battle cry and smashed her ice cream into my face as well.

Laughing, the seven of us started a food fight that left us all sticky. I recovered after being blasted by Patti in time to see Maka licking vanilla ice cream off her lips- (_damn_, that was actually kind of kinky-) _no_, I wasn't thinking wrong.

"LIZ!" Kid blasted out of nowhere. "HOW DARE YOU GET STAINS ON MY CLOTHES, NOW IT IS UNSYMMETRICAL AND YOU HAVE THE GALL TO NOT GIVE THE OTHER SIDE A STAIN AS WELL? YOU-"

Liz just laughed as Patti tore Kid's jacket into shreds, sending him foaming towards the ground in a fit of his usual OCD-ness. Black Star joined Patti in ripping the cloth until it was barely recognizable. Maka looked at me as if to say, '_Are you guys seriously gangsters?'_ I just shrugged unapologetically and let myself cackle along with everyone else.

~_-0-_~

Some things come without you even seeing them coming.

"Soul!"

That voice locked down my entire body with surprise. A million thoughts raced into my head at once- _This can't be happening, is this a good thing, is this real, is he really alive, are they okay, wait a moment-_

"O-Ox," I stuttered, getting to my feet. The heat of the sun made my shirt cling to me uncomfortably, and I was sticky with ice cream. Nevertheless, I rushed forward, tripping over my own feet- and words. "Ox, you're- wait, no- wait, yes, you're alive! Is Kim-"

"Hi," A petite (about Maka's size, the tiny thing), pink-haired girl with cute eyes and a round, pretty face stepped out from behind Ox. "I've heard a lot about you… Soul, was it? My name is Kim Diehl."

"Hey," I said offhandedly, looking at the two. I could feel my friends staring at us, their gazes poking into my back (especially Maka's), but I couldn't look away or bring myself to explain at the moment. Ox and Kim were covered in bruises and bandages, looking tired but happy.

"You escaped," I said, surprised. "You… how…?"

Ox didn't look at me at first, allowing his eyes to wander from behind those odd glasses of his (which, by the way, were cracked here and there). When he finally met my eyes, I could almost taste what he was about to say.

"Arachne freed us under… certain conditions."

"What conditions?" I stiffened. Ox matched me, his body tensing. Kim looked nervously between the two of us, seemingly debating whether or not to say something.

"Hold _on_," Maka interrupted, bursting between us. Black Star quickly followed suit, jabbering away (I tactfully ignored him- we'd come to a confrontation sooner or later, anyways. I knew we would). "What's going on here?"

"Stay out of this," I said, and as I spoke, my body kind of… gravitated around hers, as if I thought I could protect her from outside forces with my body alone. My scar tingled, itched. Maka sent me a glare as if she knew what I was thinking.

She probably did.

"Look," Maka hissed dangerously, green eyes glinting. "I know what you're thinking. You can't do this. I'm a _part_ of this. I deserve to know!"

Black Star stopped bouncing. "I do, too. I'm God, after all!"

Kid, Liz, Patti, and Tsubaki stood up and stood alongside Maka and Black Star. Ox and Kim shifted uneasily, as did I; I guess it was finally time for a little truth around here.

"Well," I began awkwardly. "Guys, meet Ox and Kim."

~_-0-_~

Kid watched the whole thing with something akin to amusement.

He, a part of the Death family, knew most of the story, after all. Kid watched as Soul, who was obviously flustered, explained his slavery to Maka and his gang-relations to Ox. Their reactions were equally as amusing- Maka was an immediate mix of sympathy and anger at having had the details kept from her so long; Ox and Kim became visibly more awkward when they, who were probably just poor bystanders with the bad fortune to be caught by slave traders, realized who they were dealing with.

"Well," Ox said, adjusting his horn-rimmed glasses. "I guess that explains why you fought so well all the time."

"Fight _well_? That's funny," Maka snorted. He eyed her with mixed emotions- she had yet to give me an answer- the Albarn was wearing long shirts and pants despite the heat outside, likely to cover the mark that was spreading over her.

She wouldn't listen to him, Kid thought furiously. Her thoughts were always clouded with…

Death the Kid's eyes narrowed as his gaze settled upon Soul. Maka, who was next to him, showed… pride. Happiness. Something else…

Was he… jealous?

…Hardly.

Without a word, Kid turned and walked away. He would have a word with Maka afterwards.

Only Patti and Liz noticed.

~_-0-_~

Ox and Kim left to go find a nice, quiet hospital room to rest. Hopefully for a while- they looked pretty beaten.

I, on the other hand, had some major things to consider.

When the, er, _introductions_ were through, Ox had slipped me a small envelope. All he had to do was catch my eye and I got it.

I excused myself for the bathroom, leaving Maka with Black Star and Tsubaki, and _where did Kid, Liz, and Patti go_?

Once I was sure I was alone in the small, cramped bathroom stall, I ripped open the paper and took out the folded sheet inside of it.

I hated letters, I realized, as I remembered the _last_ one I had opened. Gee, THAT had gone well.

_Soul_,

_I've met Wes. He seems like a nice boy. He talks often of your younger sister, Kari. _

The rest was ripped off.

My eyes focused on that name. _Kari_. No one was supposed to know about her. She was _dead_.

I slumped against the door of the stall, unwilling to go further in. If I got into the state of Black Blood, here and now…

"Yo, Soul!"

Black Star hammered on the door. I was silent for a moment, until his fist once again banged, threatening to break through the door (knowing him, it was completely possible).

"What do you want?" I asked warily.

There was heavy silence until I realized that Black Star was _thinking_. Oh god. That meant trouble-

"I don't blame you, Soul."

I blinked once. Twice. "What?"

"You know what Tsubaki means to me," he intoned, and even though I couldn't see his face, I could imagine the way his eyebrows would push together in a slight frown, mouth down in that rare serious grimness that he got sometimes. He was right. I knew exactly what she meant to him. "I don't blame you for what happened. But if it happens again…"

"What do you take me for?" I said gruffly. Emotion was _so_ not our thing (it was gay, among other things, but still, this was an exception. Just this once). "I know that already, idiot."

He paused. Then laughed that notorious laugh of his. "Yeah, of course! I knew that, man."

I listened as he left. Then I came out and slumped against the wall. _Sometimes Black Star just confused me so much_.

Shaking my head, I decided to be grateful for the forgiveness and move on. I had more important things to worry about.

_Maka._

~_-0-_~

"Father."

Death inclined his head. His son's eyes were downcast. His normal confidence was gone, something that wasn't normal for him. In his voice was resignation, hesitation; perhaps even a touch of benediction, which was frankly confusing.

There was a long, tense moment before Death nodded. "Well?"

"I…" Death the Kid swallowed loudly, something which by no means went unnoticed. "I'm going to… to call it off. The engagement. I can't follow through with it."

Every bone in Death's body locked up- in that moment, he quite literally became the essence of his namesake. "_Have you forgotten the reason we initiated this engagement in the first place?"_

"To…" Kid struggled for the words. "Mother. Noah has Mother. I know." His words descended into a whisper.

"THEN WHY?" For the first time in a long time, Death's calm poise and certainty was shattered. "You _know_ that he has her. You know he wants the book, and that this is the only way-"

"No, Father." Kid looked up, meeting his father's eyes for the first time. "It's not."

The silence was deafening.

"You foolish child," Death whispered lowly. "Have you forgotten your own Mother, just like that? Think of what you are doing!"

A harsh sigh, the ghost of a whisper as Kid turned around, turning his back on his father.

"I am."

~_-0-_~

"I can't… I can't deal… with it…"

_Where was Mother?_

Chrona ambled. Hit the asphalt as Ragnarok hit her down, once, twice, three times. Didn't feel anything, despite the blood that was dripping down, soaking her rag-like clothes. No pain. Only endless misery. Torment. Chrona's cheek slammed into the ground- the gravel dug in. This was like to leave imprints. How would she deal with this?

She couldn't think straight. The blood was leaving stains on her skin. Was that black? It was like ink. How odd.

"_Child._"

Ragnarok and Chrona turned simultaneously. It would have amused her, how connected they were despite the differences, but she didn't care. Medusa had always told her that Ragnarok was born of a combination of her DNA and an infant taken, long ago, combined with Black Blood. Whatever that meant. All she knew was that it meant Ragnarok was a part of her.

_The one thing she knew how to deal with, simply because she had to_.

"W-wuh-Who are you?" Chrona slurred. It sounded more like a hysterical laugh, though. Weird. She _thought_ she had murmured it.

"I am your savior," the man said, stepping out from the dark of the alley. "_I can lead you out of this pathetic hell hole you currently call life. Come with me. I will replace your mother."_

Medusa was gone.

What was this?

She couldn't deal with it.

Eyes closing blissfully into oblivion, Chrona blacked out.

~_-0-_~

When I returned to my room, it was already dark outside. Maka was curled up on the couch next to my bed, purring (snoring, really. But it almost sounded enough like a cat's purr that I had to resist the urge to walk over and pet her).

Kid was curled up next to her on the opposite side. They looked like tiny little… pixies. Or whatever. Small and petite and cute. (Although, truth be told, Kim was nothing compared to Maka- wait, _what_?)

"Soul."

I turned in surprise. "Ox. You aren't asleep yet?"

Ox shifted uncomfortably under my gaze, which only made me more suspicious, even as he nudged his glasses back into place. He refused to meet my eyes. I knew that my red eyes often had that kind of effect- I only stared harder.

"That letter... was it…?"

"Yeah. Ripped. Couldn't read it."

"I… I see…" Ox looked down, and then looked back up, hesitant. I bit down on my tongue to prevent myself from shouting at him to just _spit it out_. _What was he trying to say?_

"Well?" I hinted, feeling a mixture of irritation and… subdued patience. Ox had survived hell with me in Arachne's mansion, and despite our differences, we had a kinship. (Don't tell anyone I said that.)

"Look," Ox began. "I really hate to tell you this, you have no idea… Arachne told me to pass something along…"

A sense of dread piled in my gut. _Oh, god, this was it. _I could feel something big coming.

"Don't… don't panic. I wanted to tell you sooner, but…" Ox snuck a glance at Kim, and I understood.

_Was there anything I _wouldn't_ give for that kind of normalcy, even if only for a few moments?_

"Tell me," I said. My voice broke embarrassingly, but I paid it no heed. My heart was pounding so hard in my chest I wondered how no one was woken up by it- my head pounded with the anticipation, my hands were clammy. Dimly, I wondered how much of the blood pounding through my body now was… black.

"Arachne told me to tell you… that, at midnight, you are to go to Central Park to meet her and… a _friend_ of hers. Says you know him."

I swore my heart stopped beating.

"Says his name is… Wes."

Have you ever thought that you'd seen it all, experienced all the paradigm shifts, and thought that nothing could hit you harder?

Try being me.

Try seeing what it's like to spiral into hell.

~_-0-_~

**Eighteen years ago**_._

_**Death City Hospital**_

If anyone knew his son, it was him. He was his father, after all. Any good father would know these things.

_But he didn't_, he thought to himself bitterly. He had failed as a father. Failed to communicate his life's meaning. Failed to communicate his feelings. Failed to teach his son, to love him like a real Father might have. Would have. And now he had to pay the price.

The hospital was an easy way out. Their computer defenses were pitifully low- compared to the government, at least. Two minutes into it, their systems were down. Scrolling through the lists of patients, he quietly mused to himself.

He knew that what he was doing was a contradiction to the way his thoughts were lined up. What he was doing could put a huge risk on the child's family. Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis was highly risky, but he supposed that if a family was desperate enough to take a child that wasn't _quite_ their own, then they would love the child despite any… noticeable differences. They would hopefully stick to the child.

Pushing any parental sympathies away, the man bit on his lip as he continued to scroll; he wasn't going to be changing physical appearances. In fact, it was far from it.

_Albarn._ He paused when the name came up. Now _there_ was a name he had heard before. Weren't the Albarns supposedly a rich, prestigious family? A dark chuckle was emitted here; they were the exact kind of family that he usually tried to knock off their pedestal.

But tonight, somehow, he felt different. _He hadn't known that Spirit Albarn was unable to give children. He hadn't known that they had decided to go through with conjoining a child before injecting it into the wife's womb._ And he certainly hadn't known that he could almost empathize with one of the richest families in the city.

_Learn something new every day,_ he thought dryly. But this wasn't any ordinary enhancement.

An hour later, he was in the very hospital, having temporarily shut down any security systems and cameras. He had given himself an hour or three, at best. He had done research ahead of time; knew the doctors who worked late into the night, knew the peoples' schedules. He knew where they would be and how to avoid them.

He also knew that no one would be in the fertility labs for the next seven hours.

He took out a small vial (with which he had done a painstaking amount of research for), filled with a clear liquid he had concocted himself. It was undetectable- he had made sure of it.

Eibon knew exactly what he was doing, and all of the risks.

On one hand, Eibon knew that it was a possibility that his son, Noah, would get his hands on the child whom he was genetically altering to be the key to his Book. But there were hundreds, thousands of children in the city. Surely the chances were miniscule…?

Eibon knew his son well. He knew that Noah had an unnatural lust for power, and had hoped to use his father's line of work for a much, much larger cause.

Eibon knew, deep down, that he was a criminal. That was a technicality. But if his son were to get his hands on his book, then a much more disastrous event would follow.

Carefully selecting the correct dish, Eibon emptied the vial's contents, pocketed the now-empty vial, and turned away.

Turning away, he wished the Albarns the best of luck.

The instructions were in his diary. Eibon would leave the Book in the Albarn libraries- the instructions were hidden in there, after all, should one care to look close enough.

Eibon went to the Albarn mansion, stole in, left his diary in the large libraries, and left without any commotion or change. The Book of Eibon, he thought dryly, was no more. His son would not get his hands on it.

The next day, Eibon was murdered by his son.

~_-0-_~

In her sleep, Maka clutched her old, black, worn book to her chest tightly. Her favorite book, the one she had found so many years ago in the libraries and had kept by her side since.

Imbedded within the thick, leather-bound cover of the front was a miniscule microchip.

~_-0-_~

When midnight came, I woke up, shrugged on a jacket, and tried to ignore my injuries. It had only been a day or two, for crying out loud; nonetheless, my wounds seemed to be healing rather quickly.

A part of my mind insisted, screamed, pulled; I knew it was the Black Blood that was making my healing ridiculously fast. I felt only a minor soreness.

And it _bothered the hell out of me_.

I stole a glance at Maka- who was softly snoring, her small frame rising and falling with each breath. A strand of hair was covering her face, and I gently brushed it aside. Her skin was light and pale, but smooth and soft-

-I blushed.

I fell to my knees, and against my own will (but only a little), I brushed my lips against her cheek. Her only response was a jarred, light snore (which I would never admit to it being adorable- out loud, at least).

I wouldn't be able to bear with myself if I _lost_ this. Her.

God, what was wrong with me? I was turning into an incorrigible _sap_. Gee, I dunno. I guess the idea of being killed in just a few hours was kind of intimidating. But only a little.

I stood up, stooped low, and whispered in her ear. Corny, I know. But if this really was the last time I saw her…

Her lips twitched upward in her sleep. I smiled at the sight, and then turned and jumped out the window.

(Don't give me that look. I was more than capable of handling high falls by now).

The second I hit the ground, I made a beeline for Central Park. (Don't think I don't see the irony; that I was probably marching to my death at the same place I met the girl who had become my life.) I made my steps slow and comfortable- there was an inevitable fight coming up, and I would be damned if I weren't at my top game.

It felt as if it took forever until I reached the park.

I eyed the very bench I had met Maka at- and almost laughed at the difference that my mood made. The darkness clouded the park, which was only barely lit by the streetlights. It was empty (as one would expect when it was, y'know, _midnight_). No one would see if I were to be stabbed or shot or gutted or hanged. No one would hear me if I screamed as I bled to death.

I shook off the morbid thoughts just as I heard a familiar, "_Hello, Soul."_

Every single muscle in my body locked down. My body froze. I forced it to relax. _Breathe, Soul. In, out. In, out_. This was what I had been gearing up for almost all my life. This was-

"Surprised, Soul?" Wes murmured. "I imagine you must be- I didn't think that the end would come so soon, either."

"I didn't either," I replied, forcing my tone to be light. If he heard the torment raging through my heart right now, he would undoubtedly use it against me. I swallowed, and nearly buckled to my knees- my will held me up. "Imagine- if you die here, tonight, wouldn't it be so… anticlimactic?"

"Indeed," Wes replied. I heard his steps against the cobblestones, and forced my eyes to remain straight, even as he turned to face me. I didn't want to look straight into those blood-red eyes that were so much like mine. "The same could be said to you, little brother."

"Oh, shut up," I hissed through clenched teeth. "Why are you _really_ here?"

"Answers." Wes said. "I assumed you wanted them. Was I wrong?"

My breath caught in my throat.

_Yes_, I almost screamed. I was dying for them. What was the Book of Eibon? What part did Maka play in this? How did _I_ play into this? Where did the Black Blood come from, who was I, who was _he…_?

"I see you do," He said, his tone lilting, amused. It pissed me off just as much as it intrigued me- he knew things I didn't know. I wanted to know them.

"Where's Arachne?" I asked cautiously.

"I bagged the bitch," Wes said coolly.

My eyes widened, and I whirled to turn to him, meeting his gaze for the first time that night. I couldn't help it- my mouth slacked open- I couldn't find the words to speak for a few moments.

"You're lying."

"I'm not. She no longer served our purpose. It was easy. She had already fulfilled her use, anyway." He laughed darkly. "Poisoning your food during your little sleepover parties, I mean."

_What?_

"Yes," Wes continued, gauging my reaction. He knew me well, as only my brother could- he could probably read all the thoughts going through my mind. He could read my shock, my stress, my anxiety, all of it. "With a certain little drug that enhances Black Blood. Quite useful for our little… _training_ sessions, I must say." Wes snickered.

_**No**_. So _that_ was why I had been caught up so easily despite my resolve…my-

"You must be wondering how you got the Black Blood in the first place," He grinned. "I rather thought you knew when we found out that our little sister was dead."

_No, no. What was he doing? He couldn't continue onto another topic that quickly! My mind was still reeling from the fact that Arachne had done all that without my knowing, primed me for Black Blood. But to bring up _that_…?_

"_You _killed her," I said throatily. "I know you did. You can't lie to me."

Wes considered, and laughed at me. I was shaking all over. I knew I was. _Hello? Information overload. I want my money back. I don't want to do this, I don't want to be here-_

"I suppose I did, in a way," Wes mused. "It was _I_ who gave you the Black Blood after all."

I stared.

"_Don't you remember?_" Wes purred. _"The gruesome death of our little sister, at _your_ hand._"

_Stop. __**Stop**_.

"Shall I remind you," Wes continued, "of her broken body? How the bones were jutting out, of the puddle of blood? Shall I paint some lovely mental imagery of our dear little sister as she bled to death while _you-_"

I couldn't take it anymore. Hands clenching my head, a scream erupting from my lips, my knees hit asphalt.

All in a sudden, my blood coursed through my body, then retreated; the warmth retreated from my fingertips, began to compact into a burning sensation, like a painful stab…

I shrieked as the Black Blood took over.

(No one ever said murder was an easy thing to live with.)

~_-0-_~

When Maka awoke, Soul was gone.

Somehow, she wasn't surprised- he had a tendency of doing things like this. And last night, she had had a quite vivid dream, too. Her face flushed.

Lips, soft as a feather, brushing her cheek. _His_ husky voice as he whispered, "_I love you."_

But it was just a dream. Maka looked at the crumpled blankets, and wondered exactly where he was at- she glanced at the clock- _two in the morning_. Irritation broke through her grogginess- Maka hopped easily off the couch, so as not to wake up Kim (a sweet girl, under her, er, sadist tendencies).

She checked the bathroom. Empty.

Halls. Empty.

All the rooms within a short walking distance. He wasn't there.

But, she noted with surprise as she slowly trudged back to the room, Kid was.

"Hey," Maka whispered awkwardly as they approached each other. Kid gave her an appraising sort of look- his lip twitched up in an affectionate sort of smile as he reached up to tug on one of her ponytails.

"Hey yourself. Your ponytail is crooked."

"Is it really?" Maka asked, dazed. She hadn't really thought about giving a damn about her appearance while looking for Soul. Wonder if Soul would mind that her pigtail was crooked…?

Kid's amber eyes narrowed infinitesimally; then shrugged it off. Maka didn't notice. They both opened their mouth at the same time.

"Look, I-"

"I have to-"

Maka blushed and looked away as Kid scratched his neck nervously. "Well, go on, then," He said, albeit a tad gruffly.

Her eyes remained firmly rooted to the ground. Maka opened her mouth twice before speaking. "Oh. Er… Soul… do you know where he is…?"

Kid visibly flinched- Maka was still looking down (curse the heavens- would she never spare a moment of her thoughts for _him_ instead of… He could feel frustration now- he bit down on his tongue to prevent himself from saying anything that might upset Maka. _Christ, the things he did for her…_

"There's something else more important right now, Maka." Kid took her chin, nudged her face up with his hand, gently. _She looked so… innocent_.

He was losing this.

"It's off," He said abruptly, and Maka gaped. "The engagement- ours, I mean. I called it off."

Kid watched those gorgeous eyes of her carefully; saw the several dozen emotions that flickered through the depths.

_Relief. Confusion. More relief. Recognition, betrayal, relief. _Not once did he see love- though he could have sworn that he saw a flash of ruby eyes in her own emerald depths-

_Well, they say that eyes are the window to the soul, after all…_

Even in this kind of situation, she still thought of Soul… Kid frowned, but remembered his original intentions. He'd keep by them.

"Look, Maka. We need to go. I'll tell you _everything_ _I know_, I promise. But we've got to finish this as soon as possible and…" His eyes darkened, Maka noticed. Was something the matter? Besides the fact their engagement was called off… her head swirled. She couldn't deny the fact that the first thing that came into her head was Soul, his reaction when she told him the news…

She blushed. _It wasn't like he would want to marry her, anyway._

"Oh, yeah. Alright," She said awkwardly when he gave her a glare that said '_stop daydreaming, we've got work to do.'_ "Where are we going…?"

Kid's only response was turning off into the corridor.

Unsure for what seemed like the umpteenth time ever since she had met Soul (no one had ever shaken her world until he had appeared), Maka followed.

~_-0-_~

In Central Park in Death City, two people, both brandishing white hair and sharp tongues, were conversing.

If conversing could be counted as one torturing the other, his mind screeching into oblivion.

The one on the floor was bleeding.

His blood was black.

~_-0-_~

Maka, under some awkward glances from Kid, pulled out her ponytails so that her hair was let loose around her shoulders before she stepped onto the motorcycle (which, once again, was too much like Soul's for comfort) behind him. One or two quick, throaty growls from the motorcycle, and they were off.

Maka shook her head sharply, ridding her head of Soul. _Not now. Now wasn't the time to be thinking about him._ "Where are we going?" She demanded. Now that Maka was fully awake and alert, she had regained much more of her usual vitality and confidence. And that meant prioritizing things and to stop acting like such a… she snorted. Like such a _housewife_, waiting for a husband that would or would not come back.

"Listen this time, Maka," Kid chided. The wind blew uncomfortably against her skin as their speed increased, but she paid the sting no heed. "Don't interrupt me. Do I make myself clear?"

"As crystal," She retorted impatiently. Kid gave her a sharp glance, but said nothing of her sudden impatience.

"Like I said before, you have been turned into a key for the Book of Eibon. That house in the middle of nowhere we went to the other day was Eibon's house."

"And _who_," Maka interrupted, "is Eibon?" She suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable. In her jacket, the small, black book she kept with her at all times almost seemed to burn, alerting her of its constant presence.

_There was a character in that story named Eibon._

"That is of no importance at the moment," Kid replied, steel in his voice.. "Do not interrupt again."

Maka said nothing.

"When the time comes, I will require a blood sample from you," Kid said, sending her another glance to remind her to keep her mouth shut the second her lips twitched. "The sample will allow us access to the Book of Eibon, which was specially made by Eibon himself. It's inaccessible any other way."

"It's a _book_," Maka couldn't help it- the words shot from her mouth before she could prevent it- the surprise was hard to hide. "Isn't your family some kind of… underworld leader or something?" _Sheesh, there was nothing as surprising as finding out your fiancé was part of a huge gang- other than finding out that your crush happened to be in the very same gang._ "Just bust it open."

"We were told that…" Kid swallowed, "that the book is in fact a microchip of some sort, made by Eibon, and locked through some sort of technology he made himself, hidden somewhere."

"Was he that good?" Now there was wonder in her voice. "That house…" …had seemed perfectly normal until she was knocked unconscious by a machine that injected _something_ in her…

Her thoughts were sidetracked at that; what exactly had she been injected with, anyway? It had triggered the odd pattern that was spreading through her body like a disease. Maka gave a full body shudder, and unconsciously scooted closer to Kid.

"Yes," Kid said, tense. "Eibon was the leader of the, ah, underground systems." _Gangs, mafia_, Maka thought tersely. _It would never stop, would it?_ "He was very good at what he did." A pause. "Before he was killed by his son."

"His son?" Maka said, shocked, her mouth gaping open (which proved to be a bad idea. A fly seemed to zoom straight into it, but it could have been her shock combined with her imagination. "Why?"

"Because of the things the Book of Eibon contained," Kid lowered his voice; Maka got the feeling that he didn't want to talk aloud of such things in the open streets, despite the fact that they were speeding so fast that Maka didn't think anyone would hear. "That book was a diary of sorts to Eibon, and as such, contained many secrets."

"Like what," Maka snorted. "His ex-girlfriends?"

Everything in her body screamed that it was a lie. Every sense she had told her that it was much, much worse than that, and she didn't even know what or why.

"I don't know," Kid said ominously. "And hopefully, we won't have to find out."

~_-0-_~

_"Hello, Arachne."_

_"Wes," the woman greeted without any inflection. He knew that she could _feel_ his presence, a mere foot behind her. He knew he could hear the sound of air against steel, of silent breaths. And he knew she could smell death._

_Surely, he thought to himself, amused, she could smell him, then._

_"I suppose you know what I'm here for," Wes said casually. He would finish what his little brother could never hope to achieve. After all, he was the older sibling. That was their job, wasn't it?_

_"You can't have it," was the reply. Wes could detect trepidation in the tone, though. She turned to face him, her willowy torso barely cloaked by a black garment, her smile saccharine. "You can never hope to have it, anyhow."_

_"Who are you trying to fool?" Wes murmured. "There is no one at the top. There is always someone better. And you, old hag, are outplayed."_

_"Do not mock your superiors," Arachne enunciated. "I have experience that your skill will never match. You are still but a seedling. I am an oak."_

_"You're a bug, Arachne. A bug that needs to be squashed. You've played your part, and now it's come to an end." _

_The bluster over, Wes made his move. _

_Arachne was a powerful person, sure. Arachne was poised and skilled and more than her sister or brother ever were, could ever aspire to be. Wes acknowledged this._

_Right before he took her life._

Kid and Maka went into the large building, side by side.

They didn't know only one would come back out alive.

~_-0-_~

A/N: So, _so_ sorry for the late update. To be honest, I had kind of forgotten about the story, and had to re-read. And boy, my writing is crappy! But that's okay; I think I've improved as well~ And I appreciate all of your guys' support, you have no idea!

Anywho, I think that Take it Straight to the Heart is drawing to a close. I don't know if I can pull off a big showdown, but I'll sure try my darnedest. Even if it kills me. Which it hopefully won't, because I need to write an epilogue after that.

Many, many thanks to the ever-so-patient-yet-amazing-reviewers:

Draxaeliea

iCYxTEARS

Allen Bedillion Trahurn

delirious0ne

Mistyfire's Code is Secure (lol)

KittyAttack

Cuna999

ChiChiMaka

iloveme264

Piggy 7869

Sanzo4ever

SilverStella

waterblossemangel13


End file.
